Monte Vista is the area in San Antonio where my grandmother and grandfather bought a little Spanish-style home that was built in 1926. My father was raised there, and my family would visit there in the summers. My grandmother was Mexican, from Puebla. Her home always smelled like spices, and something good was always being prepared in the tiny kitchen. This is where I learned how to cook, creating layers of flavors.
I lived in this house when my husband and I first met. I would cook meals for us while Ric sat on a stool in the kitchen and played his guitar for me – it was magic. We still own the home, and it’s a special place for us.
This soup can be made in several ways. I usually make it vegan without any dairy added, while Ric likes it with a little cream and chicken added. Either way, it’s delicious!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup bell pepper, diced (this time I used ¼ cup roasted poblano pepper and ¼ cup fresh green bell pepper)
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced fine
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon chili powder (any kind will do, but I like to use a mix of New Mexican and a little Chipotle)
- ½ tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (sweet, not hot)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your taste)
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted are best)
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 6 corn tortillas torn in 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup heavy cream (optional)
- ½ to 1 cup Colby Jack, Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely
- Sauté onion, pepper, celery and carrot in the olive oil until tender.
- Add the garlic and all of the spices except for the cayenne pepper and cook for a minute or two to release the flavors.
- Add tomatoes and broth and bring to boil.
- Toss in the corn tortillas, turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Just before serving, add cream and cheese and warm the soup thoroughly until cheese is melted and incorporated.
- Stir in the cilantro and half of the cayenne pepper, taste for desired spiciness and add more if you prefer more heat.
- Garnish with tortilla strips or chips, sour cream, fresh cilantro and even some diced avocado.
- * For Chicken Tortilla Soup - 10 minutes before serving, add 2 cups roasted or poached chicken that has been shredded or cubed and use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
Enjoy!
It’s so nice to see you again, Eva. I am delighted with this recipe. On two recent trips out to lunch, one being yesterday, I’ve ordered Tortilla Soup, wishing I had a good recipe! This looks fabulous and I can’t wait to make it. You’ve used some wonderful spices and I can see how flavorful it would have to be!
Hi Debra- yes, I took the summer off as far as blogging goes. I had bloggers block! I hadn’t made this soup in a very long time so it was fun for me check the recipe again and test it on my husband. I forgot how much I love it and I do hope you enjoy it too. How was your summer? We were just getting ready to head out to California when the floods hit Boulder. We couldn’t get out of our neighborhood to catch our flight! Thanks for stopping by! Eva
I’m so glad you mentioned the flood, Eva. I was typing away my response to you yesterday and almost asked, but then thought you’d have mentioned it if you’d been directly affected. At the same time, I realize that when a disaster of this proportion hits any state or region everyone is, of course, affected. I’m so very glad you’re safe. But it is going to be a long time before the Boulder area will restore, I’m sure. Even though I saw news coverage I still can’t quite comprehend!! ox
Luckily, we were only inconvenienced but it was pretty devastating for most of Boulder. Here is the link to the post I did on the flood.
http://wp.me/p1HOfc-1b3
xo
Thanks for sharing this! My goodness! I’m sorry I missed it when you posted. I dropped out for a bit, too, after taking a fall right about that time! I am fine, but my head was mildly scrambled for a couple of weeks. I did watch the news and managed to call several of my Colorado friends. Each was fine, but they were badly shaken, and shared some of your experiences. oxo
Wow, I’m so glad you are okay! I’m afraid I was completely out of the blogging loop all summer. I’m trying to catch up so I’ll have a visit to your blog today an see what else you have been up to. Be well!