SPICY TORTILLA “DUMPLING” SOUP

I stumbled on this recipe by accident one day in an attempt to make Black Bean soup. Lucky for me I only had two cans of pinto beans. Blending the beans into the broth makes for a rich base with the consistency of chowder. This was far better than I could have ever imagined. It’s a very hearty, filling soup that can be served on its own, and is great for lunch. I haven’t experimented with making real dumplings from maize, but after a good soak in the soup, corn tortillas lose their grainy texture and composition to become similar do a dumpling.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes about 4 servings)

• 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup diced roasted tomatoes (1 can)
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans (2 cans, drained)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion, diced
• ½ cup of cilantro
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chile powder (ancho chile powder if you have it)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 roasted poblano, diced
• 12-16 corn tortillas

PREPARATION:

• Sautee onions and garlic in a tbsp of oil/fat until tender and fragrant
• Add broth, tomatoes, pinto beans, cilantro, and spices
• Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low
• After 5-10 minutes, blend mix until fully emulsified using a blender or food processor
• Add salt to taste
• Transport back to soup pot and add the diced poblanos
• Cover and cook on low for another 5 minutes
• Cut 3-4 (per serving) corn tortillas into 1/8 pieces to a deep bowl, then add soup
• Top with Monterrey Jack cheese

NOTES:

This soup is always best the next day, so leaving it to sit for a few hours/overnight is my preferred method of serving it. While I usually prefer sour cream as a topping for most Tex Mex dishes, I feel that it changes the texture of the soup too much, so for this particular dish I go with Monterrey Jack.

bon appetit