Tortilla Soup!

With fall in the air, I was dying to get back to soup dinners. After a quick search on line I found this gem...and it was delicious. It had some heat from a jalapeño, and heartiness from a can of well-rinses black beans. The poblano pepper was a welcome flavor as well. I made some quick cheese quesadillas on the side to round out the dinner. This will definitely go in to our Fall/Winter soup rotation!


Tortilla Soup
Source: http://timothy-dzurilla.suite101.com/tortilla-soup-a40027

Ingredients

For Tortilla Strips

8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
For soup

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, chopped (you can also throw a couple extra jalapenos in to spice the soup up a bit)
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
4 cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock (PLEASE, no water)
1 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes (you can substitute a Tablespoon of tomato paste as well)
2 cups of shredded chicken
Optional: diced squash, carrots, corn kernals, hominy, black beans, or any other vegetable you might like could go in as well
Finishers

1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup cheese (either queso fresco, shredded Monteret Jack, or even Chihuahua cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, wedged
Dollop of sour cream or crema
Procedure

Tortilla strips:

Cut the tortillas into half inch strips.
Lightly fry in oil until crispy and golden brown. Remove strips, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.
Soup:

In a soup pot fry onion, garlic, and peppers in a bit of oil until soft.
Add oregano, tomatoes, chicken, and other vegetables. Allow to simmer for half an hour to meld the flavors.
Serving:

Ladle a serving of the soup into a bowl. Top with tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, a quarter of an avocado, and a dab of sour cream.
Serve with a lime wedge and extra cilantro.


Read more at Suite101: Tortilla Soup: Quick and Easy Mexican Recipe with or without Chicken | Suite101.com http://timothy-dzurilla.suite101.com/tortilla-soup-a40027#ixzz1ZkxzSGtP