Tortilla and Chorizo Soup

Now that my morning sickness is starting to fade I find myself more interested in eating my customary spicy foods again. I made this amazing dish last week and actually had the time and energy to photograph the whole process so I thought I would share. The recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens Mexican cooking magazine. Eric picked me up a copy for Christmas but this was the first recipe I have tried from it, so far I give it an A+!

Ingredients

4 roma tomatoes, halved
1/2 of a white onion, cut in to chunks
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 oz Mexican chorizo, casings removed
6 cups chicken broth
3 sprigs epazote (I subbed cilantro for this because I didn't know where to find it)
Salt to taste
2 fresh poblano peppers
6 6 inch corn tortillas cut in to strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
Extra cilantro to garnish
Lime wedges to garnish

The first step is to roast your tomatoes, onions and garlic in a pan at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

Onions, tomato and garlic

After these are done roasting, removed the skins of the garlic and transfer the tomatos, garlic and onion to a bowl and blend with an emersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender).

after roasting, transfered to a bowl

onion, garlic and tomato blended smooth. 

Next brown your chorizo in a large sauce pan or dutch oven in 1/4 cup on peanut oil. Drain any excess grease when this is done.

Fresh local pork chorizo, I love buying meat that comes wrapped in brown paper :-) Here the casings are still on, make sure you remove them for this recipe

Browning chorizo in peanut oil

Add the tomato puree to the saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes, next add chicken broth, epazote (cilantro) sprigs and salt. cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to keep broth warm while you finish up the other steps.

simmering broth with chorizo and cilantro

Meanwhile, heat the other 1/4 cup of peanut oil in a medium skillet and prepare a plate with paper towels on it to drain peppers after frying. Stem and seed the poblano peppers and cut in to half inch pieces. Fry the pepper pieces until tender in very hot oil and drain on paper towel lined plate, add the peppers to the soup mixture. Next fry the tortilla strips in batches in the chile infused peanut oil and drain on another plate lined with paper towels.

frying tortilla strips

Remove the cilantro sprigs from the soup and discard. Ladle soup in to individual bowls and top with tortilla strips, extra cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, avocado chunks and lime wedge.

garnishes

Eat immediately, enjoy!

finished soup!

It's no secret that I am a lover of any Mexican food and this was no exception, I could seriously eat this every day and I could taste the difference from making my own tomato puree instead of using canned. This does take a little longer than my typical go to meal though so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a week night. When you have the time you should try it though, it's delicious and well worth the effort.