I had planned to publish this post yesterday, but like it was for many others, my yesterday turned out to be remarkably dark and difficult, and frankly not the time to discuss soup. Not only did my literal lifelong role model lose the presidential election, but I watched our entire country take one giant step backwards into territory that makes me extremely nervous and fearful. I hope we all took the time to process this as best we can so far, and are ready to move forward in a call to action to come together and fight for causes that matter to us. And in the meantime, I do have some soup to offer you, which I hope will offer you comfort in the smallest way, if you need it.
I’ve made two soups so far this fall, one of which was just okay – and of course that means I have several quarts of it stowed away in the freezer – and one of which was really excellent. Obviously, that is the one I am sharing with you today, because it’s comforting, interesting and different, and that’s honestly what I look for in a soup.
I struggle a little bit with pureed soups, where the whole thing is uniform and every bite is the same. I like to have some variety to what’s going in my mouth, and Rick Bayless’s soups tend to deliver on that front (I’m particularly thinking of this one). With these soups, the format tends to be a broth with maybe a few things cooked in it, and then topped with a bunch of really interesting stuff that you always want seconds of.
In this tasty soup’s case, those delicious toppings happen to be home-fried tortilla strips (don’t be scared – these are super easy to make), melty cheese (giving it a bit of a Mexican/French onion feel – no need for me to sell you on this further) and quick-fried dried chile peppers (sounds weird, but crunchy, smoky and addictive). I will say it does become somewhat of an issue when you are eating through the soup bowl but refilling on toppings as you go. Gotta ration those tortilla strips for all the broth!
If you don’t feel like making your own chicken broth, you have my permission to buy it from the store and make this soup recipe even easier. I decided to make some (I don’t always make this choice) and enjoy the smell of bubbling broth on a chilly Saturday. But there is always a downside to being an overachiever, and that is that it is exhausting. When I finally got around to plating this soup, I completely forgot to add in the chard, which, if you look at the name of this soup, plays a pretty central role. So I ate a strange onion soup that evening, and wondered to myself what the big fuss was all about, and why I hadn’t noticed earlier that this recipe was really, really strange. It wasn’t until a few hours later when I opened the refrigerator and ran into an enormous bunch of chard that I realized my mistake. So a bit of advice from me to you – it’s better to buy the broth and remember the chard.
Note: The soup itself can be prepared several days ahead, but the chard will be freshest if you add it only as you're reheating the soup in the last few minutes. The fried tortillas will keep for a day wrapped in foil on the counter. Reheat the broth and set out the garnishes just before serving.
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 corn tortillas, preferably stale store-bought ones
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 to 5 medium (about 1 1/2 ounces total) dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded (also called chilles negros)
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 medium-large round ripe tomato (drained canned tomatoes can be substituted -- see note)
- 1 medium white onion, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/8 thick
- 6 cups good broth, preferably chicken
- Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on saltiness of broth
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican Chihuahua cheese, or other melting cheese such as brick or Monterey Jack
- 1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges
- 4 cups loosely packed, thinly sliced (preferably red) chard leaves (you’ll need about 2/3 of a 12-ounce bunch)
Instructions
- Slice the tortillas in half and then into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Heat 1/3 cup of the vegetable oil in a medium-size (8-to-9 inch) skillet over medium-high. When hot, add about 1/3 of the tortilla strips and fry, turning frequently, until they are crisp on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Fry the remaining strips in 2 batches.
- Cut chiles into rough 1-inch squares using kitchen shears. Reduce the heat under the oil to medium-low, let cool a minute, then fry the squares very briefly to toast them, 3 or 4 seconds; immediately remove and drain on paper towels. Place 1/3 of the chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water. Set aside the remaining fried chiles.
- Roast the garlic and tomato on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened and blistered on one side, about 6 minutes; flip and broil the other side. Cool, then peel both, collecting any juices. Note: Alternately, substitute a 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes (drained) and roast the garlic in a dry skillet on the stovetop.
- In a medium-size (4-quart) pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low. Add the onion and fry until brown, about 10 minutes. Place the rehydrated chiles in a food processor or blender along with the roasted garlic, tomato and 1 cup of the broth; puree until smooth. Raise the temperature under the pot to medium-high, and, when noticeably hotter, press the tomato-chile puree through a medium-mesh strainer into the fried onion. Stir for several minutes as the mixture thickens and darkens. Mix in the remaining 5 cups of broth, then simmer uncovered over medium-low, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season with salt.
- Set out the garnishes: Make mounds of the fried tortilla strips, fried chiles, cheese and lime on a large platter. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the sliced chard and simmer until the chard is tender, 5 or 6 minutes. Ladle into warm soup bowls and garnish.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/11/10/chilied-tortilla-soup-with-shredded-chard-sopa-de-tortilla-y-acelgas/
