Alli's Mexican Tortilla Soup

The first time I made Tortilla soup was right after I moved from Arizona to Colorado. I found a recipe in the University of Colorado's student paper, and I was craving the spicy flavors that I had gotten used to in southern Arizona. I've adapted that recipe over the years and it's one of my favorite soups to make throughout the year. The broth of this soup is what I like best - it's very light, but nice and spicy and full of tomato and vegetable flavor. The best part is, this soup is so easy to make! This recipe can be made with chicken or without. The chicken adds a nice portion of protein to the soup, but is absolutely not necessary for the overall flavor of the soup. I often make just the veggie version, especially if I make the soup on a whim with no chicken on hand. The recipe calls for RO*TEL tomatoes, which you can usually find next to the diced tomatoes in the store. The soup would be fine with regular tomatoes, but I've been using the RO*TEL tomatoes in this recipe forever and I like the added heat to this soup. If you're worried about the spiciness of the soup, I've given a few suggestions below to help control the heat level.

SWEET FACTS: Jalapeno Peppers originated in southeastern Mexico, in Xalapa, Veracruz. Starting in the late-90s, the peppers have also been widely cultivated in southern New Mexico and western Texas.  Jalapeno peppers grow 2-4 inches long and are most often picked when they are still green. They have a mild to hot level of heat, depending on the cultivation of the pepper. The heat is concentrated in the seeds and veins (the white stuff) of the jalapeno, so de-seeding and de-veining the peppers can help reduce the level of heat when cooking. The acidic oils coating the seeds and veins also cause irritation to skin or eyes so be careful when handling with bare fingers - don't touch your eyes! The outer, green flesh of the pepper without the heat tastes very similar to a green pepper.

Look for Jalapeno peppers with firm, smooth skin with a solid green color. Dry lines are signs of a mature pepper and indicate hotness, but avoid peppers that are soft, bruised or wrinkled.

RECIPE: Alli's Mexican Tortilla Soup (chicken or veggie)

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper,chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1-2 jalapeno peppers (slice length-wise, scoop out seeds, and slice into half-rings)*
1.5 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
14.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed (I prefer no-salt-added)
1-2 cans RO*TEL tomatoes (mild or spicy)
8 ounces frozen corn
32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
6-8 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded or cubed

Toppings (optional, but recommended)
chopped cilantro
tortilla chips
light sour cream or Greek yogurt (if the soup is spicy, the sour cream/yogurt really helps cut the heat)
shredded cheese (Mexican is most fitting, but any cheese will work... I've even used Parmesan in a pinch!)

*The combination of the jalapeno and the RO*TEL tomatoes can make this broth very spicy. I would recommend removing all seeds from the jalapenos. If you want to add more heat, keep some of the seeds and use 1 can of medium-hot RO*TEL tomatoes and 1 can of spicy RO*TEL tomatoes.

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and stir to coat in oil; cover and let cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add the sliced jalapenos and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat the vegetables, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, black beans, corn, broth, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.


To serve, take a handful of tortilla chips and crush them in your hand into the bottom of each bowl. Ladle soup over the chips and top with sour cream/yogurt, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro. Serve with more chips on the side.