Tortilla Soup

There were no leftovers.  Even my pickiest of eaters declared "this has good flavor".  

The original recipe comes from Suz who is able to use her skills as a scientist in the kitchen to perfect just about any recipe.  I think the original recipe (posted below) is great but after living in Mexico for a couple of months she said her tortilla soup is now perfect and I may be able to replicate it if I make a trip to the Mexican market.

Here it is:

2 dried ancho chilies or 1 Tbsp Ancho chili powder
2 Tbsp canola oil
6 corn tortillas (blue or yellow)
1 Onion; chopped
4 Garlic cloves; minced
8 cups chicken stock (reduced-fat) or veg stock
2 cups tomato puree
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp oregano
¾ tsp. salt
2 limes, juiced

Optional Garnishes:
Grated Monterey jack cheese,
Avocado, diced
Sour cream
Minced cilantro
Diced cooked chicken

Remove stems and seeds from ancho chilies. Place chilies in a saucepan, cover with water and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain chilies, let cool, then puree in a food processor or blender. While chilies cook, cut up two tortillas into small pieces. In a large saucepan, sauté tortillas, onion and garlic in 2 teaspoons canola oil until onions are soft. Add ancho pepper puree or chili powder, chicken stock, tomato puree, cumin, oregano and salt to saucepan. Bring soup to boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Puree soup in a food processor and return it to saucepan. Stir in lime juice and reheat. Slice remaining tortillas into ¼ in x 2 in strips. Heat remaining oil in a medium skillet. When oil is hot, add tortilla strips and sauté until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer tortilla strips to a paper towel to drain. Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese and garnishes, as desired.

I could not find Ancho chilies so I used dried California ones instead. Reading about chilies I discovered that ancho chilies are mild, dark and pungent. The California ones are a bit spicier and are red. I think they were an okay substitute but I'm not going to make it again until I find ancho chilies or whatever other secret ingredient that Suz suggests.

Also I did my stock in the pressure cooker and was quite pleased with the flavor and the ease of it all. The meat just fell off the bone and I didn't have to sit long picking the bones like I usually do when I make stove top stock.

One more tip - the soup is suppose to taste better after one day but I don't know because ours didn't last past dinner. Next time I'll double it.