Tortilla Soup

Some tortilla soups have the tortilla pieces cooked in the soup.  This recipe from my sister-in-law creates a yummy soup that you pour over crisp tortilla chips.  It keeps in the refrigerator better than my previous favorite tortilla soup (a Bennigan’s recipe) because the tortillas always broke down into a soggy mess by the second day.

Texas Tortilla Soup

  • ½ stick (4 Tbs.) butter
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 6 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 deboned roasted chicken
  • 1 tsp. each: ground cumin, chili powder, salt and lemon pepper
  • 3 tsp. bottled hot red pepper sauce
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes
  • 4 (10 ½ oz.) cans chicken broth
  • 1 bag Tortilla chips

Garnishes:  sour cream, diced avocados and grated cheddar cheese

Heat butter and oil in a large kettle and sauté chopped onion, jalapeno, garlic, carrots, celery and chicken; simmer 5 minutes.  Combine with cumin, chili powder, salt, lemon pepper, hot pepper sauce and flour.  Add tomatoes and chicken stock and simmer 1 hour.

Put a few tortilla chips in the bottom of 6 to 8 soup bowls and add a spoon each of sour cream and diced avocado.  Spoon soup over mixture.  Top generously with grated cheese.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe by Ann Chatfield Corbut

Variations

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

  • 4 Tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 can green chilies (4 oz size)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 6 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin,
  • 1 teaspoon western chili powder (not Indian or Asian chili powder which is 10 times hotter)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
  • 32 oz (1 quart) vegetable broth
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup small cilantro leaves, or large leaves chopped into smaller pieces
  • 1 bag Tortilla chips

Optional garnishes:  pico de gallo, sour cream, diced avocados, grated cheddar cheese

Heat butter or oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sauté chopped onion and  garlic for 3 minutes on high heat.  Add carrots and celery and stir fry 2 more minutes.  Add canned chilies and spices and simmer 2 more minutes..  Add tomatoes and vegetable broth and simmer 1 hour or cook all day on low in a crock pot.  Before serving, add flour in this way: Place flour in a small bowl and ladle 1/4 cup of hot soup into the bowl.  Stir to make a sticky paste.  Add 1/4 cup more hot soup and stir again.  Continue adding 1/4 cup of hot soup until the small bowl is almost full or until the flour is thoroughly diluted but no lumps appear.  Add this flour mixture to the hot soup, then add fresh cilantro and stir well to combine.  Simmer 5-15 more minutes and serve over crispy chips in a bowl.

Garnish with additional Tex-Mex condiments like pico de gallo, sliced avocado, sour cream and/or grated cheese.

Serves 6 to 8

Tamale-Tortilla Soup

We eat Tex-Mex meals quite often. This version takes advantage of leftover pico de gallo, chip crumbs and tamales – sauce and all!

  • 1 dozen tamales, with or without gravy
  • 1 can brown enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups pico de gallo, or 10-14 oz diced tomatoes or Rotel tomatoes and chilies
  • 4 Tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin,
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 32 oz (1 quart) chicken or beef broth
  • 1 can hominy (14-16 oz) with juice
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup small cilantro leaves, or large leaves chopped into smaller pieces
  • leftover Tortilla chip crumbs (optional)

 

Heat butter or oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sauté chopped onion and garlic for 3 minutes on high heat.   Break each tamale into 2 or 3 pieces and stir into vegetables. Add pico de gallo (or canned tomatoes and/or chilies) and spices, and simmer 2 more minutes.  Add enchilada sauce, hominy and vegetable broth and simmer 1 hour or cook all day on low in a crock pot. Note: if your tamales were still wrapped in corn husks when you got them, remove the husks before adding the tamales to the soup.  Save the husks and layer them over the top of the soup while it simmers.  The additional corn flavor, plus any gravy on the husks will add flavor to the soup. Use tongs to remove husks at the end of the simmer time.

Before serving, add fresh cilantro and stir well to combine.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Pour in chip crumbs, stir well and serve hot.

Garnish with additional Tex-Mex condiments like sliced avocado, sour cream and/or grated cheese.

Serves 6 to 8