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If I had to pick a category of food to eat every day, it would be soup. No matter the season or time of day, I\u2019m always down to tuck into a big bowl of soup, whether it\u2019s a velvety bisque or a rib-sticking stew. I particularly love a hearty bowl of tortilla soup, loaded with fun toppings. It\u2019s a great weeknight family dinner that\u2019s relatively simple and endlessly customizable. I thought I had tortilla soup all figured out until I came across a creamy version with a super clever, new-to-me technique in Lindsey Baruch\u2019s new cookbook, Something Delicious<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Baruch shares a brilliant tip for thickening tortilla soup with the tortillas themselves, upending what I thought I knew about this classic soup.\n<\/p>\n The tortilla soup I\u2019m used to is a brothy bowl of chicken, beans, and corn, infused with flavors from fire-roasted tomatoes and roasted peppers. Baruch\u2019s version takes that flavor profile and turns it into a silky soup that\u2019s the perfect landing place for the toppings I love: avocado, crema, and of course, fried tortillas.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cUsing tortillas achieves a creamy finish, and I thought this was a fun technique to make this soup creamy, without any cream,\u201d explains Baruch. She notes that it\u2019s a double win for tortilla lovers: you use them once to thicken and again, fried and chili-lime dusted, as a garnish.\n<\/p>\n This recipe is a shining example of the intuitive approach in Something Delicious<\/em>. Baruch encourages readers to cook with their senses and trust their instincts. \u201cCooking intuitively is a personal experience, and sensory cooking is all about tuning into the way an ingredient sizzles in the pan or the way dough feels in your hands,\u201d she says. \u201cWhile these recipes contain measurements and methods, my hope is that readers will use these recipes as baselines for all future explorations in the kitchen, taking the techniques taught in the book to create their own version of the recipe.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Penguin Random House<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n Serves:<\/strong> 4 Creamy but without any cream, this soup has corn tortillas blended right into the broth, giving it a smooth and silky finish. You get all the elements of a traditional tortilla soup with the chili powder and fire-roasted tomatoes all blended together and topped with crispy chili lime tortilla strips. Add all the toppings your heart desires, like avocado, fresh cilantro, and crunchy sliced red onions.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n Chili-Lime Strips<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Creamy Tortilla Soup<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n For Serving<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n While this is dairy-free, if you want to top with some Zesty Crema, or queso fresco, I won\u2019t be mad either.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n 1. Equipment: <\/strong>Bring out your stand blender or immersion blender.\n<\/p>\n 2. Make your Chili-Lime Strips: <\/strong>Line a plate with paper towels and have <\/strong>near the stove. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat your oil over medium-high <\/strong>heat until shimmering and hot. Add your strips to fry, using tongs <\/strong>to separate any that may have clung together. Watch carefully, flipping occasionally until they are crispy and light brown in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels, season immediately with the chili powder, lime zest, and salt to taste.\n<\/p>\n 3. Make your Creamy Tortilla Soup: <\/strong>In the same pot you used to make the chili strips, combine the onions and bell pepper, set the pot over medium heat, and saute until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust with more oil here, if needed.\n<\/p>\n 4. Add your garlic, chili powder, and salt and black pepper to taste. Toss and cook until the bell pepper begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes longer.\n<\/p>\n 5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add your fire-roasted tomatoes, and give everything a nice stir. Let the tomatoes cook a tad, until the liquid has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.\n<\/p>\n 6. Add your vegetable broth and torn tortillas (this helps thicken up the soup!) Season with salt and black pepper. Allow everything to simmer at medium-low heat, uncovered, until all your vegetables and corn tortillas are soft and the flavors are combined, 10 to 12 minutes.\n<\/p>\n 7. Use an immersion blender to blend until completely smooth. (Alternatively, blend in a stand blender, making sure to open up the steam vent. Return the soup to the pot.) Season the soup with salt and thin with additional vegetable broth to desired consistency.\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Creamy Tortilla Soup with Chili-Lime Tortilla Strips <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Time:<\/strong> 45 Minutes\u00a0\n<\/p>\n\n
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