Recipe courtesy of Beso
In 2007, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria teamed up with celebrity chef and restaurateur Todd English to open the Los Angeles hot spot Beso. The two collaborated on a menu that showcased her love of South American and Spanish flavors. Here Longoria shares her family secret to hearty Tortilla Soup. Since I first posted this recipe on my original All the Best Blog site, it has been pinned 119K+ times. It's a keeper!!
As a side note, I do not use the immersion blender with the chicken in the pot. I do it before I add the chicken. I like my soup chunky. Sometimes I will shred the chicken as well, it’s delicious.
INGREDIENTS
6 whole Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 bunch celery, diced
1 pasilla chili pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
6 cups hearty chicken stock
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 bay leaf
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
Tortilla chips, avocado, jalapeños, and sour cream to garnish
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with half the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Spread on a baking pan and roast until light brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are roasting, in a stockpot over medium heat, sauté onion, celery, peppers, and garlic in remaining oil. Stir frequently until soft and translucent.
3. To stockpot add chicken stock, lime juice, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Remove roasted tomatoes from oven (peel should be falling off), and add to broth.
5. Add chicken-breast strips and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion hand blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, blend soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve piping hot in large bowls, garnished with chopped avocado, tortilla chips, chopped jalapeños, and sour cream. Other suggestions for garnish include diced red onion, chopped cilantro, salsa verde, sliced radishes. Adjust spices and seasonings to your taste.
Serves 4