Although this soup has not been served that often to
retreats it has been served to our students with great
success. As we have developed soups we saw the need to
add this American south west favorite to our repertoire.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
Olive oil, to coat bottom of pan
12 cloves Garlic, minced (about ¼ cup)
2 Yellow Onions, diced about 2 cups
2 tsp dried New Mexico chile or chile powder
1 tsp. Ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, whole
2-28 oz. Canned Diced Tomatoes
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped (packed ½ cup)
2 - 12 oz. can Chicken stock
1 c. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 c. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Tortilla strips or chips crumbled up
2 Avocados
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
In the bottom of a medium sauce pan, saute in olive oil
garlic, onions, salt, and pepper until translucent. Add
dried spices, salt and pepper , and chipotle peppers and
let saute for 3 more minutes. Allow at least 3 minutes
for the chiles and spices to bloom in the onions. Add
diced tomatoes and cilantro(reserves some leaves for garnish)
and cook for 10 minutes on high heat, stirring frequently.
Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer this soup
for at least 20 minutes.
If you have a submersion or hand blender: (easier)
Blend in the sauce pan until smooth.
If you an upright blender: (more difficult, produces
smoother soup)
Pour soup into blender. Put lid on but remove the cap
in the lid. Cover with a rag (this allows the steam to
escape). Pulse a few times then blend on high for around
2 minutes or until smooth. Transfer back to the sauce
pan.
Put a little bit of each kind of cheese and tortilla
strips or crumbled tortilla’s into each individual
bowl and cover with soup. Garnish top with diced avocados
and fresh cilantro.
Note on how to make your own tortilla strips:
Julienne (slice into thin strips) raw corn tortillas.
Heat 1-2 cups vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium-high
heat, Fry tortilla strips in oil until crunchy. It should
take no longer than 45 seconds. You must be careful when
doing this not to let the oil reach a smoking point.
Serving suggestion: Add cooked grilled chicken
for a chicken tortilla soup.
Note on chipotle peppers: Chipotle peppers give
this soup its heat. You can freeze the remaining peppers
in an air tight container or refrigerate them in a container
for up to two weeks.
