Corn And Crab Soup With Crispy Tortilla Strips Recipes

CORN AND CRAB SOUP WITH CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS

Steps:

• Break corn cobs in half and place in large pot. Add chicken broth, 1 cup water, cilantro stems, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes. Strain liquid into 4-cup measuring cup; discard solids in strainer. Add enough additional water to corn broth to measure 4 cups.
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; saut until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño, ancho chile powder, and lime peel; stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Reserve 1/3 cup crabmeat for garnish. Combine 2 cups corn kernels and 1 cup corn broth in blender; puree until almost smooth. Add to saucepan with onion mixture. Add remaining 3 cups corn broth and 1 1/2 cups corn kernels; bring to simmer. Add remaining crabmeat, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with some of reserved crabmeat. Sprinkle each with remaining chopped cilantro leaves and Crispy Tortilla Strips and serve.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP WITH CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook until very tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add the coriander and cumin and cook until the spices have toasted slightly and become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, then scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender. Add the tomatoes, chipotle, the torn tortillas, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the remaining 3 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water and the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and gently simmer until the chicken is very tender and the soup has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2 inches. Place over medium heat and heat to 365 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips, in two batches, and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
• Add the lime juice to the soup, then season with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, top with the crispy tortilla strips, reserved diced onion, cilantro, avocado and queso fresco. Serve with remaining lime wedges.

BAKED CORN TORTILLA STRIPS FOR MEXICAN SOUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut tortillas first in half, then crosswise into 1/8-inch strips. Place in a bowl and toss with oil until fully coated. Arrange tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until strips are crisp and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

CRABMEAT AND CORN SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter, add flour, and stir gently until blended; do not burn or let it darken. Add milk gradually, stirring all the while, then add half and half, stirring gently while blending. Add corn and green onions, and cook for a few minutes until tender.
• Add crabmeat, pepper, salt, and soy sauce and simmer until very hot and small bubbles form around the edge; do not let boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with sprinkles of chopped fresh parsley when serving and serve hot.
• Variations: You may use 4 cobs of fresh corn instead of frozen or canned. Cut the kernels off the cob, scrape cob for juices, and then add to soup. Cook until corn is tender. Canned crabmeat or imitation crab may be used instead of fresh crabmeat. Use one 7 1/2-ounce can crabmeat (drained) and 8 ounces imitation crab (cut into small pieces). Combine the two and cook as noted above.