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Sopa de tortilla

My friend Julie and I went surfing in Mexico a while ago. While we were there we had the best tortilla soup either of us had ever eaten. Perhaps we were influenced by the ambiance of the candlelit cafe where we got it, on a cobblestone (or maybe dirt?) street off the main square of the town where we spent a week playing in the waves. But I'm pretty sure that soup was absolutely perfect. Tangy, thick, and slightly creamy, with just a hint of heat.

I've been looking for a recipe that will duplicate that soup, and it took me over a year and a half to find it. Julie found it, actually. The other recipes I've tried have mostly turned out soups that were too thin, too acidic, too blah, or too complicated. It turns out it doesn't need to be terribly complex. I don't have to roast peppers by hand over an open flame or pan-fry shoestring-width strips of tortillas to make excellent tortilla soup. The recipe Julie found is quick and super easy. It's from the Moosewood Simple Suppers Cookbook.

Here it is. Or if you just want to try it right now, come on over; there's still some left in my fridge. But it won't last long.

July 7, 2008 11:37 PM