Blue Corn Tortilla Soup Recipes

TORTILLA SOUP

Steps:

• Begin with a large pot. Saute the vegetables and chile briefly in about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. When the vegetables are limp, add the broth and add the garlic and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile (or beforehand), fry the corn tortilla strips in 350 degree F oil for 2 minutes until crispy. Drain well on paper towels. At the Blue Corn Cafe, we always have tons of chips around so we used crushed ones for garnish on the bottom of the soup bowl...the strips are added at the top. We, of course, use white and blue corn tortillas. If for some reason the blue variety are not available where you live, I suggest you immediately draft a letter to your Congressman! Yes, you can use all white or yellow tortillas.
• To finish the soup, you've got to make some slurry. Yep...this will add just a little body to the soup. With the cornstarch in a cup-sized container, mix as little cold water as possible to form a thin paste. This stuff feels and looks like...well, slurry. Bring the soup back up to a boil; stir with 1 hand and pour the slurry in slowly with the other. Continue to cook on high heat for a minute, then reduce to low. The soup will look cloudy at first but will clear up and thicken slightly. Remove from heat.
• Add cilantro and lime juice. Fill 8 to 12 cups or bowls about 1/4 full of crushed tortilla chips. Ladle soup on top. Place a handful of strips on top of each and serve. This soup (without the tortillas) keeps well for 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Tortillas will also keep well for a few days if sealed well and stored at room temperature. In moist climates they may require re-crisping in a 350 degree F oven for a few minutes.
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breast, leg, or thigh)
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup medium-dice green bell peppers
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 4 cups (1 quart) water
• This "machaca" style cooked meat is very versatile: use in tacos, enchiladas, soup, nachos, burritos, etc. Basically a process of braising, the meat and all ingredients are put together in a large pot and brought slowly to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you desire, you can bake all of this in a covered dish in a 350 degree F. oven for about 3 hours for the same results. The meat should be tender to the point where it begins to shred...some of it may require quick chopping. You may want to reserve the liquid for use in soups, etc. Use the cooked meat in your dish right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• You will need a medium-sized bowl, a griddle or heavy skillet at least 8 inches in diameter, and a rolling pin.
• Place corn meal in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Stir to mix well. Let sit for fifteen minutes. Mix in one-half cup of all purpose flour. Turn this mixture out onto a bread board spread with 1/4 cup of flour. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating the 1/4 cup of flour into the dough (and if necessary, use a little more). The dough will be soft but not at all strong. Return the dough to the bowl and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into eight pieces. Between well-floured palms, make flat round patties out of each of the eight and set aside. Heat your griddle over medium high heat, making sure that it is hot before you cook the first tortilla. On a well-floured surface (as the dough is quite sticky), carefully roll out a tortilla until it is approximately 7 to 8 inches in diameter. (We find it easiest to first pat out the dough with our fingers or between our palms, and then to roll out the tortilla at the very last just to make it uniform in thickness). Cook the tortilla as you would a wheat tortilla, approximately one minute on each side. The tortillas will be flecked with brown on both sides. When cooked, remove and wrap in a kitchen towel. Stack one on top of another.

BLUE CORN TORTILLA SOUP

Steps:

• Chop vegetables and place into a 4-quart pot.
• Sauté vegetables over medium heat in 4 tablespoons of butter heat until fork tender- approximately 8- 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil slowly, watch not to scald the bottom of the pot.
• Bring down to a simmer and cook until the tortillas and the vegetables are cooked- approximately 20 minutes.
• Add heavy cream, and salt and pepper.
• Remove from the heat place soup into a blender& blend until smooth.
• Watch not to fill the blender to high.
• The soup can scald you.

CORN TORTILLA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in soup pot. Add garlic, jalapenos, red onion, and cumin. Add chicken stock, corn tortillas, and scallions. Simmer 20 minutes. Add lime and cilantro.
• To serve, ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, fried leeks, and diced tomatoes

SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Whisk together the mashed potatoes, 1 1/2 cups of the broth, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Whisk in the 1/4 cup creme fraiche and more broth, if needed, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of creme fraiche and chipotle puree in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of the creme fraiche, some cilantro leaves and some of the tortilla chips.
• Combine the butter, milk, cream and chipotle puree in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• While the potatoes are hot, run them though a ricer into a large bowl. Add the warm milk mixture, syrup, honey, cinnamon and salt and pepper and mix until combined.