Recipe for Tony's Killer Tortilla Soup...

Tony's "Killer" Tortilla Soup. This recipe comes from a co-worker of mine, Tony "The Weasel" Godsey, who is quite an accomplished cook. One day we were discussing food, particularly Mexican food, and he gave me this recipe, and it turned out to be a real winner. I made a few minor changes to suit my needs, but the basic recipe is Tony's.

Special tools: Large stock pot; we use a 10-quart pot
Preparation time: About 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 2 hours
Yield: About 6 to 8 servings

10 cups chicken stock (broth), preferably homemade; see link for my recipe for chicken stock
1 large onion, any variety, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 or 3 large poblano chili peppers, roasted, peeled and diced; see text
2 12-oz cans black beans
2 24-oz cans chopped tomatoes, or 1-lb fresh, firm, Roma tomatoes
1 16-oz package frozen white corn
6 to 8 yellow corn tortillas, cut into strips about 3/8" wide
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
Salt to taste; I prefer kosher salt
2 to 4 cups cooked, diced chicken, optional

Suggested Condiments:
Shredded cheddar, jack, queso or Mexican cheese
Avocado slices
Salsa Verde; see link for my recipe for Salsa Verde
Black olives, diced
Green onions, diced
Cilantro, chopped (in addition to the cilantro already in the soup)
Yellow corn tortilla chips

I'll let Tony explain how to prepare this delicious soup, using his own words: Your first move is to use disposable latex gloves (the kind that paramedics use) while handling the chili peppers. Don your latex gloves and push in at the stem of each chili pepper, as if your were attempting to push the core inside of the pepper, then grasp the stem and pull out the core. Discard the seeds and stem, and remove the veins from the inside of the pepper. Cut peppers lengthwise so they will lay flat on a cookie sheet.

Place cookie sheet with peppers and broil in oven until the skin bubbles and blackens, about 10 minutes, but do not over cook the peppers; the idea is to be able to easily pull the skins from the chili peppers. When peppers are ready, remove them from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow peppers to seam for a few minutes, then remove and discard the skins. Reserve chili peppers.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil, then add the diced onions and garlic and cook over high heat until the onions are translucent; about 3 minutes. Add the corn, poblano chilis, cumin seed, chipotle pepper and salt; stir in with other ingredients. Add the chicken stock, the tomatoes and the beans to the pot; stir thoroughly. Add optional diced chicken, if desired. Cover pot, and bring to a boil.

After boiling about a minute, reduce heat to very low, add chopped cilantro and tortilla strips; cover and simmer for about two hours. Timing is not critical, as the soup can simmer for several hours without any problems. In fact, the longer the soup simmers, the better the flavor will be, as it allows the flavors of the various ingredients to blend.

Ladle soup into large bowls and top with the condiments of your choice. I prefer to use all of the condiments on my soup and I like to add a few corn tortilla chips for added crunch. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup is an excellent way to utilize leftovers to make a delicious, hearty soup. Leave out the chicken, and this soup will bring a smile to your vegetarian friends, or your pals at Weight Watchers. Everybody loves tortilla soup!

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