Recipe: Tortilla Soup - A Few Recipes for Stacy

Dorotea's Tortilla Soup


2 tsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
2 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Ground pure red chile powder
2 Tbsp. flour
3 small corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1/3 cup Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 fresh serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese, Cheddar, Mexican asadero, Monterrey Jack or a combination
1//4 cup sour cream


In a Dutch oven or large pot, saute garlic, onion and chopped jalapeno in olive oil until onion is soft. Add chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes and chiles, chopped or shredded chicken, water, wine, oregano and red chile powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
While broth simmers, bake tortilla strips on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until crisp, but not brown. Remove strips from cookie sheet when done and set aside to cool. After soup has simmered 20 minutes, skim off 1/3 cup broth into a glass measuring cup, add the 2 Tbsp. flour to the measuring cup of broth, stir until smooth and return the broth/flour mixture to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil then turn heat back to low after it boils.


To serve: place tortilla strips in the bottom of two soup bowls, cover strips with soup mixture, and garnish with your choice of cilantro leaves, fresh serrano pepper, shredded cheese and sour cream. Makes two generous servings. Can be doubled.


The Mansion's Tortilla Soup
Source: Dean Fearing of The Mansion on Turtle Creek
Serves 8


3 tb Corn oil
4 Corn tortillas -- coarsely Chopped
6 Cloves garlic -- finely Chopped
1 tb Fresh epazote -- chopped(or 1 tablespoon chopped Fresh cilantro)
1 c Fresh onion puree
2 c Fresh tomato puree
1 tb Cumin powder
2 ts Chili powder
2 Whole bay leaves
4 tb Canned tomato puree
2 qt Chicken stock
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 Cooked chicken breast cut In strips
1 Avocado peel, seed & Cubed
1 c Cheddar cheese shredded
3 Corn tortillas, cut in Strips fried crisp


Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute tortillas with garlic and epazote over medium heat until tortillas are soft. Add onion and fresh tomato puree and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Skim fat from surface, if necessary. Strain and pour into warm soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with an equal portion of chicken breast, avocado, shredded cheese, and crisp tortilla strips. Serve immediately. Soup may be made one day ahead and gently reheated before serving with garnishes.


Chef's Note: This soup has been on the menu at the restaurant at The Mansion on Turtle Creek since it opened in 1985. According to executive chef Dean Fearing, "When Tortilla Soup is ordered, it is brought to the table in a tureen for individual service by the waiter, who garnishes each bowl according to the customer's desire."