When I said I was working on a soup book, the response was often, "Oh, I love soup!" People enthuse about soup in a way that’s so heartwarming it makes me feel as if I’m in the right camp...
Traveling in Mexico for the first time in the 1960s, I experienced many new flavors and dishes: a simple bowl of chicken broth with sliced onion, avocado, oregano, and lime floating in it; the famous Caldo Tlapeno with its chickpeas, vegetables, and chile; and, of course, tortilla soups. This red vegetable broth supports soups like these with success, so it's well worth making if these are soups you enjoy.
The assembly is a snap--literally a matter of minutes. But it's a two-hour simmer that creates the depth you'll want. While the broth can be refrigerated, it loses its luster with each passing hour. So if you want to enjoy it adorned only with avocado and onion, plan to use it right away. For the tortilla soup on page 000 or the broth with dumplings and vegetables on page 000, it can be used later.
Makes 2 quarts
1 large onion, sliced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 cup diced canned or fresh tomato
6 plump garlic cloves
1 large carrot or several smaller ones, sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 or 2 big handfuls of cilantro
Large handful of parsley
Several chard or beet leaves
Handful of lentils
Several anise hyssop leaves or a good pinch of anise seeds
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or 8 regular oregano sprigs
1 jalapeno chile, halved
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns, lightly crushed
Tomato paste to taste, optional
Put all the ingredients except the tomato paste in a pot with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, then strain.
Taste for salt and, if you wish to fortify the flavor a bit, stir in a teaspoon or more tomato paste to taste.
