Tortilla Soup

This may have been the dumbest week to make soup considering that LA actually set a record for highest temperature ever recorded in the city. I have been lazing around my apartment in shorts and tank tops while the air conditioning has struggled to try and keep the heat at bay. And for some reason, I got an absolute hankering to make soup. Please note – this is perhaps the first time I have ever written the word “hankering”. I like it; expect more to come.

I can blame this soup entirely on Cafe Magazzino in Burbank. See, on Friday’s this place makes a tortilla soup that is good enough to bring tears to your eyes. I have actually woken up in the morning with drool sliding out of my mouth because I was dreaming about this soup. Okay, that’s kinda gross, but it totally happened.

Here’s my issue with Magazzino’s though – they are only open on weekdays and only for lunch. And that soup only shows up on Friday. So onWednesday   when I absolutely could not control my craving any longer I had to resort to making my own. This meant I had to stand over a hot stove in the middle of the day while it was 95 degrees outside. And then I devoured a steaming bowl of soup. That’s how much I love this stuff.

Since Magazzino’s won’t give up their recipe I had to come up with my own. This one turned out pretty good, although I after tasting it I wanted to tone down the onion and garlic flavor which I’ve reflected in this recipe. It’s thick and hearty soup that is full of flavor; way better than your average tomato soup. If it actually feels like fall where you are I suggest you give this a try.

Tortilla Soup

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I only garnished my soup with tortilla strips, but a lot of people like avocado and/or cheese as well. I’ve never really caught on to the avocado-in-soup thing, but to each her own.

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh onion, chopped
5 corn tortillas (6-inch diameter) coarsely chopped
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 whole dried bay leaves
2 cups vegetable stock
1 quart water
Salt

Garnishes (optional)
3 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 avocado, diced
Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion and tortillas for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (you can also blend in batches using a countertop blender)

Garnish with your choice of ingredients and enjoy!

Tagged as: garlic, Onion, Tomato, tortillas