Tortilla Soup with Corn and Chilies

I've been trying out some new recipes this week, and I'm not having much luck finding one that I would recommend. First I tried a spinach bean pattie with a side of daikon "french fries" and that didn't go over so great. My husband ate some of the patties and rated them about a "3" (out of 5 stars) - but the daikon "french fries" were horrible! I tasted one and that was more than enough for me :(

In case you are wondering what in the world daikon is - it's a root vegetable that taste a bit like a radish, but milder. I thought it tasted great raw and would highly recommend it. The only place I've found it is at our local Festival Foods.

The next recipe I trialed was a broccoli bean soup. The overall taste of the soup was good - although my mother thought some butter would richen it up - but the consistency was a bit paste-like, so I'm going to continue to work with that recipe, make some changes, and then I'll share it with you :)

In the meantime, I was at my favorite restaurant today - Tacos Juanita - and was reminded of this great soup that Gregorio makes that I really miss since becoming a vegetarian. It's called Sopa Azteca, and it is to die for (as is everything else that Gregorio makes). Fortunately, I have found a recipe that is very similar that my husband and I are very fond of. So I thought I would share that with you today. Cheers to you Gregorio for the inspiration!!!

Tortilla Soup with Corn and Chillies:

1 dried New Mexico chili pepper

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns

1 can (14-19 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed - or1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked, cooked and drained

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, including juice

6 cups vegetable stock

1 can (4.5 oz) mild green chilies, drained

2 cups corn kernals, thawed if frozen

3 tortillas, preferably corn, cut into 1-inch strips

vegetable oil

1 to 2 avacados, cut into 1/2" cubes

Finely chopped red onion

Finely chopped cilantro

In a heatproof bowl, soak chili pepper in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and discard stem and soaking water. Set aside.

In a dry skillet, over medium heat, toast cumin seeks until they release their aroma and just begin to turn brown. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind coarsely. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, reserved cumin, oregano, lime zest, salt and peppercorns and reserved New Mexico chili and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a food processor along with beans and 1 cup tomatos and liquid and process until smooth.

Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add vegetable stock. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until mixture is bubbling and flavors are combined. Stir in mild green chilies and corn. Cover and cook on High for 15 to 20 minutes, until corn is tender.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush tortilla strips with oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes per side, until crisp and golden.

When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls, lay tortilla strips across the surface and top with avocado, red onion, and cilantro.