Tortilla Soup

We had some corn tortillas leftover from tacos a couple weeks ago that needed to be used so Matt decided to make us up a pot of tortilla soup for lunches this week.

I've never had tortilla soup before & expected it to be spicy but its not at all. The broth is just full of flavor & warmth, so satisfying. Using fire roasted tomatoes adds a lot of flavor, we like the Muir Glen brand. We added some spinach in to give the soup a little green.

You can use store bought corn tortilla chips for this soup or do what Matt did & fry up some yourself. All he did was slice some corn tortillas (flour won't work here) into strips. Then heat up a pit with about 1/4-inch of vegetable oil in it. Fry the tortilla strips a few at a time until crispy. Drain on a paper towel. If you don't use them right away, let them cool & store in an airtight container.

Tortilla Soup
(adapted from Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday)

1 dried pasilla chile
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 garlic cloves, peeled
15 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 t dried epazote
kosher salt
1 lb boneless chicken, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 c spinach leaves, roughly torn
grated cheese, something that melts well like cheddar or Monterey Jack (we used a Mexican blend)
corn tortilla chips

Toast the chile over an open flame or in a hot pan until it starts to release its aroma. Let cool & then remove the stem & seeds. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion & garlic. Cook until the onion starts turning light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a blender. Add the toasted chile & diced tomatoes including the juice. Process until smooth.

Reheat the soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sauce from the blender & cook while stirring until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth & epazote. Reduce the heat to a simmer & let cook for 15 minutes. Add salt as needed.
Add the chicken & cook through, 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted.

Ladle into bowls & garnish with melted cheese & broken tortilla chips.

6 servings

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