For the sister - Tortilla Soup

When my sister and her boyfriend came to visit us a few months ago, I decided to greet them with a warm bowl of Tortilla Soup. Tortilla soup is one of the most interesting things I make because the corn tortillas give the soup a unique texture and a warm corn flavor. This is based on the Barefoot Contessa recipe but I added a few more Mexican touches of my own.

Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 poblano peppers chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin

1 can of pureed or diced tomatoes
1 cup of corn (frozen or canned)

6 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of pre-cooked chicken, shredded (what I do is buy whole chicken breasts, sear them on both sides and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes)
8 corn tortillas sliced in 1-inch slices

Throw the first set of ingredients into a large pot and saute until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the next two ingredients and saute another 10 minutes. Add the last set of ingredients, bring the whole thing to a boil and then quickly lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tortillas have completely disintegrated. Serve with avocado, cilantro and sour cream.

TC's Roasted Tomato Soup Mmmm……

I hate tomato soup from a can and I hate having to peel and seed tomatoes. Luckily, in this recipe you don't need to do that and you get the fresh ripe flavor of tomatoes. You can do this in the winter because the roasting intensifies the flavor of the tomatoes.

10 ripe tomatoes

Salt

Pepper

1 medium onion

2 cloves of garlic

Red Pepper flakes

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

4 cups water, chicken stock or white wine (or any combination thereof)

Chopped basil (optional)

Cream (optional)

Cut tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 425 degree for half an hour. In the meantime coarsely chop garlic and onion and sauté in olive oil in a large pot until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes, honey and balsamic vinegar and the tomatoes. Sauté for another ten minutes. Add the water/white wine/chicken stock (if you are adding only water make sure to add plenty of salt). Let the mixture simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Pour ¾ of it into a blender and blend until smooth. I don't blend it all because if you do it ends up having the consistency of baby food. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Now is the time to add any basil or cream. Add more salt and pepper to taste.