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Tortilla Soup

This beloved Mexican soup is light, yet offers all the comfort of hearty south-of-the-border fare. While you can substitute GF tortilla chips, homemade fried tortilla strips are excellent—best the day they’re made and easily stored for up to three days in an airtight container.
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried New Mexico or Anaheim chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes such as Muir Glen
  • 7 cups gluten-free chicken stock
  • Kosher salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 8 gluten-free corn tortillas halved and sliced into 1⁄4-inch strips
  • Cayenne pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema for garnish (optional)
  • 2 ripe avocados diced, for garnish
  • 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh marjoram oregano, or cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, let sizzle for a moment, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cumin and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, chiles, tomatoes, chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, fill a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 365oF or until bubbles form and begin to float up around the handle of a wooden spoon when dipped into the oil. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season to taste with salt.
  3. Using an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, carefully puree the hot soup until smooth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Transfer the soup to bowls, garnish with a spoonful of sour cream and avocado, a sprinkle of marjoram, and a handful of tortilla strips.