Williams Sonoma Tortilla-less Tortilla Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups (12 oz) canned roma tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
8 cups (64 fl oz / 1 ltr) chicken stock
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about .5 pound, cut into bite-sized strips
Salt & pepper to taste
2 dried chile such as ancho, seeded
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 tsp lime juice

This recipe is from my Williams Sonoma Soup Cookbook and it's irresistably good, so I've written down the recipe for a double batch. Ordinarily one would add tortillas to the soup, but it's delicious without them (and very healthy - even with the sprinkling of cheese) so I skip the tortillas.

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and the 4 tsp cilantro and saute until just golden brown (about 10 min).

In a blender or food processor, combined sauteed mixture and the tomatoes. Process until smooth.

In the frying pan, over medium-high heat, add the tomato mixture and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and darkened, 5-6 min.

Transfer the mixture to large pot over medium-low heat and add the stock. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened - about 20 min.

While the soup is cooking, in a small, dry frying pan over medium-high heat, toast the seeded chiles until fragrant and somewhat crisp - about 10 minutes. Shake the pan often; don't let the chile burn. Let cool, then crumble and set aside.

Add the chicken strips to the soup mixture and simmer until they are just opaque throughout, 2-3 min longer. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls. Divide the crumbled chile, the cilantro, avocado, cheese and lime juice evenly between the bowls and serve immediately.



Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user EMERGENTME.