spicy tortilla soup

Ok.   First, let’s talk about how our soup looks nothing like the one from food network magazine.

(theirs vs ours)

I don’t know where theirs got that rich red color, but I’m guessing it has something to do with food stylists, because ours sure as hell didn’t have that intense red broth (yes, it frustrated me), and that’s what made this so enticing in the first place!

We began with the original recipe, as surprisingly vaguely as it was printed, before messing with it.  It tasted like plain chicken broth…so we added a splash of this and a dash of that, which ended up being about 4 tbs tomato paste, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder, and although Tom protested at first, a couple shakes of my trusty frank’s red hot (it needed some tang!)  Soooooooo, it needed more than a little doctoring, but the finished product was actually pretty good.

SPICY TORTILLA SOUP (based on FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 2009)
2 ancho chilies, seeded and soaked
1 onion
2 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth
4 corn tortillas, torn
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
4 tbs tomato paste
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
hot sauce to taste (I fully recommend frank’s red hot though)
avocados, cheese, and tortilla chips for serving

1.  in a food processor, puree the chilies, onion, tomatoes, and garlic.

2.  in a dutch oven, or large pot, heat a small amount of vegetable oil.  add puree and fry for 3-5 minutes.

3.  add the chicken broth, corn tortillas, chicken and cilantro.  bring to a boil and simmer until thick.  if you feel like it needs something, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until tomato paste has dissolved.  serve and garnish!

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One Response to spicy tortilla soup

  1. ncmarg says:

    Sounds yummy. Do you have to use a LeCreuset dutch oven to get the full effect?

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