It's official. Tortilla Soup is OFFICIALLY my favorite soup. Top o' the list. Numero uno. The best. Can't get enough. Remember a couple of days ago when I tried a different (to me) Tortilla soup recipe? I liked it. It was yummy. But it started me thinking...why in the world was I limiting myself to just one recipe? Sure, I love it...the bomb, remember!? God, how much of a dork am I? I mean...who says the bomb anymore? Or dork for the matter. I digress. But it is. The bomb. I love food. I love the combination of earthy, spicy, smooth, bright, crunchy, warm, comforting all in one bowl. So, then and there I decided that I was going on a quest. A quest to explore all the different variations of Tortilla Soup...in all their glory! I know I won't love every one. But I betcha I'll seriously dig the majority. Okay, my quest begins here and now. Well, I guess it really began a few days ago when I first strayed from my "the bomb" recipe. But now is when it becomes official!
Here's the really good part...I NEED YOUR HELP!!! I know lots of you who already love (or at least tolerate) Tortilla soup and still others who want to try it...NOW is the time! Actually...anytime over the next year, but the sooner the better. I am going to be trying new recipes from all sorts of sources...whatever I can get my Tortilla Soup-lovin' hands on! I want to hear your favorites, as well...I also want to hear about your not-so-favorites. Here's whatcha do:
1. Find or Create a Tortilla Soup recipe
2. Make it =)
3. Blog it....GRAB THE TORTILLA SOUP CHALLENGE BADGE and stick it in your post (because I need more people to see it and in turn make it, blog it, etc.) or simply link back somehow.
4. Follow the link on the badge back to this post and link it up at the bottom! Leave a comment after adding your link...in case I get lost in la-la land and forget to come back and check for a while.
It's that simple...but just imagine how many versions I'll be exposed to! And I'll have your opinions...your help on my quest. And YES, if you have an old post on Tortilla soup, feel free to link that up, as well. I will be posting a round-up of all the versions I get each month...sort of a re-cap and an incentive for those who may have...um...forgotten.
My quest is scheduled to last 1 year. ONE WHOLE YEAR!! I've left the link-er-thingy open for a year. You can link your recipes (as many as you like, as long as they're Tortilla Soup) any time in the next year, as well. I hope to try at least one new recipe a month. At least. Also, no worries if somebody else has already blogged a certain recipe...we all know how each person has different tastes and different interpretations and different adaptations...I want to know Tortilla Soup inside and out by the time the year is out. I think it'll be fun to see the variations as the seasons change...at peak tomatoes & corn & chiles vs. canned, dried, frozen...ah, the possibilities. I can't wait to see if my original favorite is my favorite after a year on my quest.
Whew...
Guess what? I even have a Tortilla Soup recipe for today...had to start it off with a bang. I cleared my head of all expectations of what Tortilla Soup should be and went for a version much different from my first two. This version was a quick one from the May '10 issue of everyday FOOD (love that little mag!). Check out the sneak peak....
I know, right!!! Slurp. Monch. I was seriously pleased with this one! It was simple. It was full of flavor. And if made with DOUBLE the chipotle...it is one hell of a hangover cure! Seriously, a bowl of this with double the chipotle and a bottle of cold cerveza the morning after would have you kickin' in no time! I added the extra cuz we like it hot around here. We're used to it, right? Right. Unfortunately I didn't realize just how hot I had made it until I accidentally sucked it down my air pipe on the first bite!! Holy coughing fit, Batman! It was like that first pull from a joint or so I've heard that leaves you breathless with tears running down your face. But once you recover and regain composure, there's nothin' but a smile. And sweat...beads of it poppin' up on your forehead and neck. And pulsing lips. Oh man...it was some good sh*t. For those of you who don't dig that feeling...don't double the chipotle. You've been warned.
10-Minute Shrimp and Tortilla Soup
from everyday FOOD
serves 1 (I quadrupled the whole recipe...and then doubled the chipotle)
1 corn tortilla, cut into thin strips
2 tsp. olive oil
coarse salt
1/4 of a small yellow onion, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 1 tsp. chopped chipotle in adobo (I used 4-ish chipotles plus some of the adobo)
1 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. fresh corn (from one ear) or frozen corn
4 oz. medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
diced avocado, fresh cilantro and lime (optional), for serving I also added queso fresco
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tortilla w/ 1 tsp. oil; season with salt. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 5 mins. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt. Cook until onion softens, about 3 mins. Add chipotle and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add corn and cook until tender, ~1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until opaque throughout, ~1 minute. Serve with tortilla strips and desired toppings.
Let the quest begin!
---(Oh, and I'm sending this over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays...be prepared for many more Tortilla soups to come your way over the next year, Deb ; ).---
*Please play nice...If you add a link to this Tortilla Soup Challenge, make sure it's Tortilla Soup! That's all I ask...just make sure you're linking up tortilla soup. If there's no tortillas in it ANYWHERE, then it's NOT tortilla soup. I hate deleting people, but I will. I do what I have to do to protect the integrity tortilla soup, after all. And also, please add a link back to this post in your post...it can be in fine print if you like, so long as it's there. Thanks!!
