Tortilla Soup

Tomatoes and corn are defining ingredients in Mexican cooking and they come together perfectly in the deceptively simple and delicious tortilla soup. Using a few Mexican specific ingredients - a dried poblano pepper and roasted cumin seeds - creates a complexly flavored soup that you can make in less than 30 minutes. Add avocado, cilantro, cheese and the crunch of corn chips and it's a party in your mouth!

Tortilla Soup

1/2 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 dried poblano pepper with seeds (AKA ancho or pasilla)
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup canned tomatoes (or 2 cups canned is fine)
1/2 cup chick peas
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/3 cup cream
salt
pepper
corn chips
1/2 avocado, cubed
shredded cheese
cilantro, minced

Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until translucent. Add poblano, broken up into pieces and saute another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, chick peas, cumin and oregano and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until well melded. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir in cream and puree in batches in a blender. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with corn chips, avocado and cilantro and cheese if you like.

Hugs!