Norteno Tortilla Soup
This recipe was adapted by Steve Brown of Masonville, from “Born to Grill,” by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. For a heartier soup, add cooked, shredded chicken. Serves 6.
Ingredients
8 cups chicken stock
6 garlic cloves, roasted
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, half chopped and half sliced into thin rings
1-2 chipotles (use whole if dried or minced if canned)
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
4 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips and toasted until crisp
4 ounces asadero (in the Mexican cheese section of your grocery store) or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 avocado, cubed
Chopped cilantro
Limes, quartered
Sour cream
Directions
Bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the stock is reduced to 6 cups. (If using homemade stock, skip this step and just use 6 cups stock.) Add garlic, tomatoes, chopped onions, chipotle and oregano.
Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. While soup cooks, place sliced onions on a greased baking sheet and broil until softened and a little brown around the edges. Add broiled onion, lime juice and salt to the soup. Remove dried chipotles and mince, return to pan or discard.
Divide tortilla strips, cheese and avocado among the bowls and ladle soup over them. Place garnishes in small bowls and serve alongside soup.
Movie Tortilla Soup
There must be as many versions of this soul-satisfying soup as there are mothers in Mexico, but in the film “Tortilla Soup,” Martin elevates it to a whole new level with fresh tomatoes, freshly fried tortilla strips for garnishing, and a dried chipotle for added mystery. This recipe, from Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, who made it for the movie, serves 8-10.
Ingredients
5 garlic cloves, peeled
10 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
1 dried chipotle chile, stemmed and seeded (optional)
3/4 pound tortilla chips
Garnishes: 1 bunch (1/2 cup) cilantro leaves; 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 limes, cut in wedges
Directions
Purée the garlic and tomatoes in a blender until smooth.
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until pale brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook 10 minutes longer stirring frequently. Pour in the chicken stock and add the chipotle chile (if desired). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the tortilla chips and cook 10 minutes longer, until the chips soften. Remove and discard the chile. Serve hot, with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges and some extra crisp fried tortilla chips for adding at the table.
Marilee’s Tortilla Soup
Eugenia Bone, author of the cookbook and memoir “At Mesa’s Edge,” collected this recipe from her western Colorado neighbor, who typically makes the recipe with pheasant broth from her own birds. Chicken stock will do just as well, so long as it’s strong and, preferably, homemade. Use stale tortillas to make the crunchy garnish because they absorb less oil. And don’t be afraid to experiment with other garnishes, such as sliced radishes, cooked pheasant or chicken, chopped fresh tomatoes or corn, boiled and cut off the cob. We made this recipe using stock from the bones of a smoked turkey, and it was incredibly tasty.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart warm pheasant broth or low-sodium or homemade chicken broth
Salt, to taste
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and pureed, or 1/2 cup canned tomato purée
1-4 tablespoons hot sauce, depending on your taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil – corn, safflower or other oil, but not olive oil
About 40 strips cut from corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped avocado, for garnish
1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Continue cooking, stirring all the while to prevent scorching, for 3-5 minutes, or until the flour begins to brown. Add the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring as your pour it in. Season with salt to taste. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes. Add the puréed tomato and hot sauce. Stir to combine well and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over high heat until it is very hot. You can test to see if the oil is ready by placing one tortilla strip in the oil. If it bubbles violently, place all the tortilla strips in the oil. Fry them until they are golden brown, a few minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the strips to paper towels to drain.
To assemble the dish, divide the soup among four bowls. Garnish each bowl with a quarter of the tortilla strips and 1 tablespoon each of the cilantro, avocado and cheese. Serve with a lime wedge.
