Mushroom-Studded Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chiles and Goat Cheese

By LaLaCooks

from Rick Bayless's Mexico, One Plate at a Time

Serves 6 as a first course, 4 as a casual main dish

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 1 1/2 to tablespoons vegetable oil or rich-tasting pork lard, plus a little oil to spray or brush on the tortillas
• 4 4 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 1 1 1 small white onion, sliced
• 15 15 12 4 to 6 good-quality whole tomatoes in juice, drained OR 12 ounces (2 medium small round or 4 to 6 plum) ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 6 6 6 cups good chicken broth, store-bought or homemade (I used homemade, see below)
• Salt
• 6 6 6 corn tortillas
• 2 to 3 2 to 3 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, removed from the canning sauce
• 4 4 1/2 ounces goat cheese, cut or broken apart into roughly 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1 1/2 large ripe avocade, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1 bunch 1 large bunch watercress, leaves only

Preparation

Step 1

1. The Soup. In a medium-large (4 quart)saucepan, heat the oil or lard over medium. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the garlic and onion, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible transfer to a food processor or blender; set the pan aside. Add the tomatoes to the garlic and onion and process to a smooth puree.

Set the saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until it has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and sliced mushrooms and bring to a boil, then partially cover and gently simmer over medium to medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Tast and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of your broth.

2. Toasting the Tortillas. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips. Spread out the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray or lightly brush with oil and toss to coat evenly. Set in the oven and bake, stirring around every couple of minutes or so, until lightly browned and crispy, about 8 minutes.

3. Serving the Soup. Cut open the chipotle chiles and scrape out their seeds. Cut the chiles into thin strips. In each soup bowl, place a portion of the cheese and cubed avocade, a generous sprinking of the watercress leaves and a few strips of chipotle. Ladle the broth into the bowls, top each with a little handful of crispy tortilla strips and you're ready to eat.

Working Ahead: Step 1 can be done several days in advance -- in fact, the soup gets better with a day or two for the flavors to mingle. Store made-ahead soup in the refrigerator, covered. Complete Steps 2 to 3 shortly before serving.