Tasty Mexican Tortilla Bean Soup

Tasty Bean Soup

The word is out. The body requires legumes to stay active.
The word Pulse will soon be the foodie word of the day for Chic Peas, Chia, Quinoa, Fava, Kidney Peas and Lentils.
I confess that my eating habits sometimes get way out of control, so I’ve strapped myself back onto the wagon of health and good eating.
My last time in the Hospital for a simple procedure went way out of my control wrong. I was given antibiotics that gave me severe reactions. So they gave me more to combat the first dose. What it did is kill all the good micro bacteria living in my digestive system.

Days and weeks later it still makes you feel dehydrated, dizzy, weak and listless. What was thought to be a simple infection made my body take on some extra baggage.
So I always loved a party of legumes and one of my feel great recipes is a good bean soup.

It’s best if you make it with a rich home-made chicken stock made from scratch. I was shown different versions by great Mexican cooks in Monterey and Seattle on how to make an authentic bean soup. Using chicken feet and tripe to give the broth more of a gelatinous consommé taste along with adding a small amount of good tequila made each trial a better batch.

Cut up a chicken into a big pot of boiling water along with a couple stalks of celery, some carrots, green pepper and onion and let it cook until the vegetables are very well stewed and the chicken meat is falling off the bones. About one and a half hours on a slow rolling simmer and skim the foam off periodically. With a strainer remove the chicken parts and set aside to cool. Now at room temperature pull all the meat off the bones. Strain the rest of the broth through a strainer and toss all the skin and solids. You now have a most delicious vegetable flavoured chicken stock for any kind of hearty soup. Now that you have a tasty stock, keep it on the stove and follow these next simple steps.

You will need;

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 cups rich chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoon organic tomato paste

2 very ripe organic field tomatoes or use 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes

1 medium yellow zucchini, diced

1 pound cooked chicken, shredded

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 hand full of spinach leaf or choy leaves

juice of one fresh lime.

This now just a tasty bean soup.

For authentic sopa de tortilla;

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4″ strips (stale are best)

1 cup Mexican Cotija cheese shredded or us Monterrey Jack

1 avocado, sliced or cut into chunks about 1″

Slice avocados right at the last before serving the soup.

PREPARATION

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin and oregano.

Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft.

Add chicken stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, zucchini, shredded chicken, cilantro and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and let cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the soup simmers, prepare the condiments:

Preheat oven to 350.

Oil a baking sheet with cooking oil , spread tortilla strips in a single layer on sheet and toss a few times to take on some of the oil.

Bake 5-6 minutes until crisp and lightly browned. Set aside.

Grate cheese and set aside.

Slice avocados right at the last before serving the soup.

To serve, place 1 to 2 tbs shredded cheese and 6-8 tortilla strips in each bowl. Ladle in soup, add 3-5 chunks of avocado and sprinkle with a little more cheese and a few tortilla strips along with a sprig or two of cilantro.

Add a small dollop of natural yogurt or sour cream before serving.
Remember!
Make sure when you serve that you only use 239 beans per serving. Because if you use one more it would be two-farty!