Recipe Station

When it's cold outside, we love making soups, and this tortilla soup is at the top of the list. Savor the flavor of the perfect combination of spices, mixed with fresh ingredients.

What You Will Need:

• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy
• 1 (15 ounce can) crushed tomatoes, or 2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 avocado
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

How To Prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Quarter the lime. Stack the tortillas; cut in half, then into ½-inch-wide strips. Peel and small dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the hominy. Pit, peel and medium dice the avocado; toss withthe juice of 1 lime wedge to prevent browning. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the radishes; very thinly slice the radishes into rounds. Crumble the queso fresco. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems and thinly slice the leaves.

2. Place the tortilla strips on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and bake, stirring halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt.

3. While the tortilla strips bake, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion, garlic and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

4. To the pot of aromatics, add the crushed tomatoes, hominy and 2 cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened and slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Place some of the baked tortilla strips, avocado, radishes and queso frescoin 2 bowls. Divide the broth between the bowls. Top with the remaining baked tortilla strips, avocado, radishes and queso fresco. Garnish with the cilantro. Enjoy!

Tortilla soup is one of my favorites. I love the well seasoned flavors of the broth and the combinations of fresh ingredients on top of the soup. This recipe is vegetarian but feel free to add shredded chicken for a little more protein to fill you up. Double the batch so you have leftovers. This is one of those soups that tastes even better the next day.

Article Source: Adventures in Cooking