Tortilla Soup

I consider tortilla soup to be my comfort food especially during these cold winters it is heart and belly warming. The heat and the flavors in the soup are just right to set you in a good mood. My husband and I love Mexican food. I think it comes close to Indian cuisine with the addition of chili powder, cumin powder, etc.

The soup that I make is a hearty one with lot of ingredients going into it. It can be served as a filling entrée in itself. It is a complete one dish meal which is a good source of vitamins and proteins.

Here goes the recipe for tortilla soup-

Ingredients:

• 6-8 corn tortillas
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded, veins removed and chopped fine
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup cooked Mexican beans (black, red, kidney or pinto)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• salt as per taste
• 4-6 cups water/ vegetable broth/ beans broth/ chicken broth
• few sprigs cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Directions:

• Soak beans overnight or at least for 6 hours and cook it al dente.
• Cut corn tortillas in strips. Spread them on a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Spray cooking oil on it and put it in oven pre heated to 350 degree F.
• In 15-20 minutes the tortillas will become crisp and lightly brown. Remove and keep aside.
• In the meanwhile, in a cooking pot take a tablespoon of olive oil and heat it. Add garlic, jalapeño pepper and saute for  a minute. Add onions and saute well till onions become soft. Add tomatoes and let it become mushy. Add bell pepper and corn.
• Add chili powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add beans with water/ broth.
• Let it simmer for around 15 minutes.
• Add lime juice and cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Take soup in a bowl, top it with baked tortilla strips and serve hot.

Enjoy!