Sunday, February 28, 2010

#58 :: Tortilla Soup

Finishing off our Mexican week is Tortilla Soup {and for dessert, Buñuelos}. This is hands down the best tortilla soup I think I've ever eaten, and the leftovers the next day taste even better! I was really proud of us on this recipe, too! We used a whole chicken for this, made our own stock, fried our own tortilla chips and strips....everything was fresh and homemade. It was great!



Ingredients

For the Stock:

  • 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken, innards removed and rinsed
  • Salt
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup medium diced carrots
  • 1 cup medium diced celery
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 8 cups water
For the Soup:
  • 8 (7-inch) corn tortillas, recipe follows
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:

  • 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
  • 2 fresh limes, cut into quarters
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

For the Stock: Season the chicken with salt. Place in a large stock pot and add the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the liquid into a another pan, discarding the vegetables. Remove the fat and bones from the chicken. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.


For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside. In a stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and jalapeno. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth or leave chunky. Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved diced chicken and cilantro. Simmer for another 5 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the avocados, squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro and the fried tortilla strips. Serve warm.




Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe from Emeril Live on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

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