Seriously, is this a joke? Has Yahoo! decided that they're going to see how crazy I can become if they keep reporting these jacked-up weather forecasts? For those of you who have never experienced life in the desert, you must know that hearing the air conditioner running only DAYS before October is stomach-churning.
Okay, I feel better now. I just really need for you all who are outside of the Valley of Flames to understand just how ridiculous it is here.
So, this post is all about one of the many joys I am lucky enough to have in my life. I have many, but this is all about the tortilla soup. Some of you know that when I was first introduced to this soup by my brother and sister-in-law, via our friend Sarah, I made it at LEAST once a month, but more like every few weeks. Yes, it's just THAT amazing! And it's not like there's a lot to it that's bad for you! Just try to steer clear of additives (salt, cheese, sour cream, chips....but I don't).
The funny thing about this soup is that it SHOULD be called Telephone Tortilla Soup. Here's why. Sarah got the recipe from her mom (is that right, Sarah?). Sarah gave it to Tim and Julie. They told me the recipe, verbally, and I made it, not calling them to make sure I had everything correct. When I described to Sarah what I had done, the recipe was quite a bit different than hers. That gave us the idea of possibly having a Telephone Tortilla Soup exchange. Fun, right? I'd do it! Heck, I can do it right now because the recipe I'm about to give you will make enough for you to feed four people and have leftovers for a few nights. Here we go (pictures first, recipe at the bottom).
Here are the ingredients:
Let's get started. You'll need a stock pot and a fry pan.
Step one: Put the stock pot on the stove and fill it with the canned items and chicken broth.
Next, bust out the fry pan and add these two items:
Next, get ready to cry! Chop the onion.
Add the onion to the fry pan with about a half tbsp of cumin:
Saute that stuff up until the onions are translucent. Personally, I like to wait until the onions start to brown on the edges a bit. But, it matters not. This soup is all about preference, peeps!
See the brown edges? Yum!
Add the mixture to the soup. Is this still easy or are you feeling it's too involved? I know, it seems involved, but it's not. Trust me. The end result is TOTALLY worth it.
Next, let's throw in the corn just for fun:
Oooooh, pretty! At this point, you'll see lots of fun and festive colors popping up in your soup.
Crank up the heat to about medium. Let's get this soup rolling.
I really do wish this picture could do justice to the way this soup was rolling.
Now, it's time to throw in the rice. BROWN rice, people! NOT white rice. I don't have anything against white rice, but just trust me. Or ask my sister-in-law, Tracy. I told her to put in two handfuls of rice. That works great when it's brown, but white? Nope. We both learned a great lesson that day. So, throw in two handfuls of brown rice and stir:
About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve it up, add the chicken. Now, for ease, I usually buy a rotisserie chicken, pick it clean and stick it in the fridge till I'm ready to dump it in.
Yes, that seemed like WAY too many steps to keep you interested. I'm sorry! But, truly, once you make it JUST ONCE, you'll see that I just love to post pictures. It's really easy, I promise!
So, now, you're ready to serve your soup! "But Leanne, what garnishes do you use?" Oh, I'm so glad you asked!
So, now, you're ready to serve your soup! "But Leanne, what garnishes do you use?" Oh, I'm so glad you asked!
I like lots of different things, but my standby toppings are these lovely items:
Now here's the recipe:
Start by throwing this into the pot:
2 14 oz. cans black beans
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
1 8 oz. can El Pato (or substitute w/ tomato sauce for less heat)
12 cups chicken broth (that's about 3 of those cardboard containers)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped well
1 lb. bag frozen sweet white corn (or canned, if you prefer...which I do NOT)
Meanwhile, sauté the following in a fry pan and add to the pot:
1 yellow onion
1-2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. butter (for sautéing)
Turn up the heat and get the soup to a rolling boil. Add 1/2 cup brown rice, stir and continue to boil for about 5 minutes.
Turn down heat to a simmer and 1 rotisserie chicken, picked clean about 20-30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!