Tortilla Soup

I was invited over to a friend's place for a Mexican themed night a few weeks ago. One of the problem's with Mexican night is to find interesting things that are different than what you generally get; tacos, fajitas, Quesadillas, etc. I've found a great option that is delicious and out of the ordinary.

My friend Laurie taught high school for two years in Mexico and made an amazing Tortilla Soup that she had picked up from the locals. Strangely enough, there's also a recipe for Tortilla Soup in the LCBO magazine this month but I prefer my Laurie’s recipe which you will find below. The soup is fabulous and certainly a departure from the ordinary. Use it to spice up your next Mexican Fiesta.

Ingredients
1 dried ancho chili de-seeded
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1.5 liters chicken or vegetable broth
Yellow or white plain tortilla chips
Salt and pepper
4 limes halved
2 avocados
110g feta cheese (Crodner coudn’t find the cheese they used in Mexico so used this as a substitute.)
110g sour cream
Half bunch fresh coriander finely chopped


Directions
1- Soak chili in 125ml boiling water for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove chili and chop finely. Reserve the water for your stock.
2- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chili and cook 5 minutes more. Put the mixture into a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of broth and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and add the remainder of the stock. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for twenty minutes. Season to taste.
3- Serve immediately in individual bowls with a wedge of lime to accompany each serving. Garnish with avocado, feta, sour cream, coriander and a squeeze of lime juice to taste.

**Laurie’s notes:
- If you can find an ancho chili please let me know. I experiment but usually use jalapeno.
- I don’t pour into a blender; I have a hand mixer and just blend it in the pot.


Thanks for the recipe Laurie!