Recipe by Pati Jinich
This is an easy soup for chilly autumn and winter nights. Quick to prepare for dinner, using low sodium chicken broth, tomato soup and topped with avocado and cilantro. Plus, the healthy avocado featured in this recipe is a good source of fiber (11% of the DV) and is a great way to add variety to your diet.
Ingredients
- 3 T. vegetable oil, divided, or more as needed for brushing tortillas
- 6 ea. corn tortillas
- 1 lb. tomatoes
- 2 ea. cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1/4 ea. white onion
- 1/2 ea. chile in adobo sauce, seeded
- 1 T. adobo sauce from canned chipotle in adobo
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
- 6 c. chicken broth
- 2 ea. sprigs fresh cilantro
- 8 oz. queso fresco, farmers cheese, or feta, diced or crumbled
- 1/2 c. Mexican crema, crème fraiche, or sour cream
- 2 ea. Avocados From Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Brush corn tortillas with 1 T. olive oil, using more if needed, then cut into small strips. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tortilla strips on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the broiler. When hot, place tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onion on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Roast or char anywhere between 7 to 10 minutes, flipping once in between, until ingredients are completely charred, and the tomatoes are mushy and their juices have started to come out. Remove from the heat.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and quarter the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes, along with their seeds and juices, peeled garlic cloves, onion, chipotle chile in adobo, sauce from the chipotles in adobo sauce and salt in the jar of a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
- In a large soup pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once hot but not smoking, pour in the tomato puree. It will sizzle and make noise and smoke. Let the puree cook, season and thicken, changing from a bright red to a darker red and thicker consistency, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the cilantro sprigs. Once it comes to a simmer, continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for salt and heat, and if desired add more sauce from chipotles in adobo.
- Before serving, remove the cilantro. Serve in soup bowls. Let your guests add tortilla crisps, cream, cheese and avocado.
Did you know the avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable? Learn more about the amazing avocado, including its rich history, cultural impact and tasty ways to eat this delicious superfood in guacamole as well as other dishes!
