Favorite soup recipe

Jamie’s Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup)

(Quadruple the recipe to feed 25 people)

For the broth:

3 T. corn oil

1 Cup onions, pureed

2 Cups fresh tomatoes, pureed

1 T. cumin powder

1 t. chili powder

1 bay leaf

½ branch epazote (this grows wild in my garden, but ask your grocer if he has it)

2 quarts chicken stock

2 T. tomato puree

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Garnishes:

1 cooked chicken breast, cooled and cut into strips (two whole chickens for a big crowd)

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

3 oz. Grated cheddar cheese (or Oaxaca cheese, if you have it!)

3 or more corn tortillas, cut into thin strips and fried

Sour cream

In a soup pot, heat the corn oil and sauté tortillas with garlic and epazote.  Add onions and fresh pureed tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Add cumin, tomato puree, bay leaf, chili powder, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil again.  Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook for ½ hour.  Strain to remove all large particles.  Sometimes I remove the epazote and run the broth through the blender, adding a few more tortillas that have been soaked in broth, to thicken it and give it more tortilla flavor. 

Place the soup in a warm bowl and add the desired garnishes.  Serves 6-8. 

(If you live in Mexico, you can also cheat by buying the canned Campbell’s Tortilla Soup, which isn’t bad.  Then just add the garnishes.  For feeding a family or big group, this is too expensive.)