Soup-er Sunday: Tomato Tortilla Soup

Southwest flare. Healthier fare. When I first tasted the soup for "quality control" to get a handle on how much, if any, salt I needed to add, the flavor reminded me of red enchilada sauce...I've never read the ingredients on a can of red enchilada sauce, but it certainly made sense (duh...tomatoes, tortillas and cumin). I appreciate the creamy texture of this soup-- considering it doesn't have any cream--thanks to the corn tortilla pieces getting all blended up. I personally don't think this soup is spicy at all, but you might want to watch the red pepper flakes, just in case. Rachel suggests serving with a quesadilla. I suggest serving with cilantro sour cream (put a 1/2 cup of sour cream in a food processor with a handful of cilantro leaves...pulse until smooth...add a dollop to your bowl of soup).

Tomato Tortilla Soup
Rachel Ray magazine
4 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
One 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped, and their juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ lime
Seven 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the cumin, salt, lime juice and tortilla pieces and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. In a blender, puree the soup in batches.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve.