Arizona Tortilla Soup

Notes: This soup comes from Donna Nordin, chef-owner of Café Terra Cotta in Tucson and Scottsdale, Arizona. Make the salsa while the soup boils.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4  corn tortillas (6 to 7 in.)
• 3  tablespoons  salad oil
• 1  onion (4 to 5 oz.), peeled and finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon  minced or pressed garlic
• 1  dried bay leaf
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  black peppercorns
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot chili flakes
• 8  cups  fat-skimmed chicken broth
• Salsa fresca
• 1  ripe or firm-ripe avocado (about 8 oz.)
• 1  lime (about 3 oz.)
• 3/4  cup  shredded jack cheese
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Stack tortillas and cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Pour oil into a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat. When oil is hot, add tortilla strips and stir often until crisp and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and, with a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla strips to towels to drain.

2. Add onion and garlic to pan. Stir often over medium-high heat until onion is limp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add bay leaf, oregano, peppercorns, chili flakes, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until reduced to about 6 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whirl half the salsa fresca in a blender until coarsely puréed. Pit, peel, and thinly slice the avocado. Rinse lime and cut crosswise into thin slices; discard ends.

4. In wide soup bowls (at least 1 1/2-cup size), arrange equal portions of tortilla strips, remaining salsa, avocado slices, lime slices, and jack cheese.

5. Pour puréed salsa into hot soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and ladle equally around tortilla strips and garnishes in bowls.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

274 (53% from fat)

Protein:

17g

Fat:

16g (sat 4.1)

Carbohydrate:

18g

Fiber:

2.8g

Sodium:

215mg

Cholesterol:

15mg