Tortilla Soup with Avocado and Cilantro
I must admit that I didn’t realize at first that tortilla soup was an American favorite, but it slowly dawned on me. One of my favorite hotels serves it, there is a movie called Tortilla Soup, and when I asked my Twitter peeps about soups, it came up over and over. Its origins are Mexican, but it has become Americanized over the years. In Mexico City, this soup is made simply with roasted tomatoes, chiles, chicken broth, and corn tortillas. This version is true to the original, with a few additions.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Cut the tortillas into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Place the strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until golden and crisp, about 9 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, chipotle chiles, salsa, and corn in a medium saucepan. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir the chicken into the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and tortilla strips, and serve.
healthy tips
Step 5
Eat more chiles! The fire in fresh jalapeños and cayenne pepper alike comes from a substance called capsaicin. The more capsaicin in a pepper, the hotter it is. Research has shown that capsaicin lowers cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, as well as (counterintuitively) protecting against stomach ulcers. It has also been shown to increase metabolism for about 20 minutes after consumption. More flavor, more calories burned. That’s a no-brainer.
nutrition information
Step 6
Fat: 20g (before), 3.1g (after)
Step 7
Calories: 510 (before), 142 (after)
Step 8
Protein: 12g
Step 9
Carbohydrates: 20g
Step 10
Cholesterol: 22mg
Step 11
Fiber: 3g
Step 12
Sodium: 706mg
