Recipes

[Beebee2]

There are as many versions of tortilla soup as there are cooks who make them, I suppose. It is a favorite wintertime, or any time really, soup in Southern California. If it's a very cool day and you're out and about, it seems natural to take advantage of tortilla soup when you stop for lunch. At home you can fix this and be sure that you have something as good as any restaurant can provide, imo. Some versions are thinner and seem watery to me, especially if zucchini is used. This soup is a little heartier. There are lots of different ingredients adding to its flavor, so if you try it, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

‘Cross the Border’ Tortilla Soup

2 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-oz can chopped green chilies
(2) 15-oz can chopped tomatoes
11-oz can tomato soup
15-oz can beef broth
15-oz can chicken broth
2 t Worcestershire Sauce
1 t salt
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t sugar
1 t pepper
1 1/4 t Tabasco Sauce
1 1/2 c water
1 c chicken, cooked, chopped

For serving: tortilla chips, grated cheddar cheese, chopped avocado

Heat the oil in a large pan and add chopped onion. Cook until soft.

Add remaining soup ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for one hour.

For each serving, put tortilla chips in bottom of soup bowl. Spoon hot soup over chips and top with grated cheddar cheese and chopped avocado.

Note: I prefer to cut flour tortillas into strips and fry them in hot oil ‘til brown rather than use the bagged chips. However, it’s much more convenient using the chips. I also like to add a little sour cream garnish and some chopped green onions.

Source: "Cross the Border" cookbook

Funny note in my book: First fixed this Sept. 25, 2005 - Hurricane Rita. Well, we certainly didn't have Hurricane Rita in California; I must have been concerned, watching the news.