How about a piece of Mexico in a bowl??? That's exactly what you get with tortilla soup!! My Mofo Post 3 is this flavorful bowl of tortilla soup that is an apt representation of what mexican culture truly is. The history of tortilla soup is not clearly known although most of the traditional ingredients have been carried through generations. The classic tortilla soup is a simple broth combined with onions, garlic, chiles, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime and topped with crispy fried corn tortilla strips. The addition of fresh corn adds a good amount of crispiness along with a touch of thickness from the black beans making this a satisfying soul food of sorts.
Serve the soup along with some veggie quesadillas or spicy spanish rice to complete your mexican fiesta!!
Ingredients:
For soup:
3 cups water or vegetable broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
14.5 oz can of no-salt diced tomatoes
15.25 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder or paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh ears of corn (1 1/2 cups corn) , roasted
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3-4 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
Salt & Pepper, to taste
For garnish:
1 avocado, diced
3-4 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
Lime juice, to taste
Method:
For the soup:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the corn (or flour) tortillas into 1-inch squares and place them on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well to coat and bake for 10-12 mins. Remove from oven when slightly golden.
For garnish:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice the corn tortillas into 1 to 2-inch strips, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper (add chilli powder for a spicier strips) and place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 mins or so until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium-high heat, add onions, garlic and jalapeno. Sauté for few mins until the onions are translucent.
Add the red bell pepper and sauté for 2-3 mins. Add the diced (or crushed) tomatoes (you can also include 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste, cumin powder and chilli powder.
Add water (or broth) and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10-15 mins.
Meanwhile, either grill or roast the fresh corn (I did mine on a stove top). Cut the corn off the cob and set aside.
After the broth has simmered for 10 mins or so, add the roasted corn and black beans and cook for 1-2 mins.
Add tortilla squares and stir well and simmer for 5-10 mins until they are slightly soft. You can leave the soup chunky or puree until smooth.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls, squeeze some fresh lime juice and garnish with chopped avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips. Enjoy!!
Makes 3-4 servings.
Enchiladas is one of the most common food in mexican cuisine. An enchilada is a corn or flour tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili sauce. Enchiladas can contain any type of filling like meat, cheese or vegetables and one of the typical ingredient being beans. They are topped with cheese, sour cream and/or fresh cilantro. Here's a simple mexican recipe to add to your collection...
Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces, steamed
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow corn kernels
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup spring/green onions, finely chopped
15 oz can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz hot enchilada sauce
3-4 tbsp hot taco sauce
2 tbsp spicy taco seasoning
5 flour tortillas (or use whole wheat or corn tortillas)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream (optional)
Method:
In a bowl, add the dark red kidney beans (you can replace it with black beans or refried beans) and slightly mash it. Add the taco seasoning and mix well. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Heat a skillet and slightly warm each tortilla before rolling it with filling. In an 8ʺ x 11ʺ baking dish, add a thin layer of enchilada sauce and assemble each tortilla as follows:
Lay the tortilla on a plate, layer it with dark red kidney beans, 1 tbsp each of broccoli, corn, green bell pepper, red cabbage and tomato. Add hot taco sauce and roll around the filling. Place the tortillas in the baking dish with the rolled ends on the bottom. Repeat the procedure for each of the tortillas.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas until they are covered completely. Top the tortillas with the remaining chopped tomatoes, spring onions, cilantro and cheese.
Bake for 25-30 mins until the cheese is melted and the sauce starts to bubble up. Allow it to cool for 2-3 mins. Serve enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream on top (optional).
Makes 5 servings.
Mexican Pizza, as you might think, is not of mexican origin. Mexican Pizza is made with ingredients used in mexican cuisine. It is a spin-off from the Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza. This vegetarian recipe is a healthier version as I don't use any fried tortilla but bake it instead. You can add as many ingredients as you like but I have kept it simple.
Ingredients:
4 whole wheat tortilla
1 1/2 tsp spicy taco seasoning (optional)
1 can (16 oz) fat-free refried beans
1 cup Picante sauce/ hot salsa (I like Pace Hot Salsa...very spicy)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
3/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup of jalapeno slices
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup light sour cream (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake the wheat tortillas for 2-3 minutes on each side.
In a sauce pan, heat the refried beans and mix with taco seasoning, if you wish. Set aside.
Now, place the wheat tortilla on the cookie sheet. Layer it with the refried beans (make sure that its not too thick). Add a layer of the hot salsa to the layered refried beans. Top with chopped tomatoes, spring onions, jalapeno slices and cilantro leaves. Finally, top it with shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat for each wheat tortilla.
Bake the tortillas for 10-12 minutes until the base starts to get crispy and the cheese is melted (you can bake 2 tortillas, if you are using a medium size cookie sheet). Cut each tortilla into 4 pieces and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a side of mexican/spanish rice.
Makes 4 pizzas.
