Fat Free Salad Dressing: {soups-salads-and-salad-dressings} Tortilla Soup with Corn and Chiles

Thursday, May 28, 2009

{soups-salads-and-salad-dressings} Tortilla Soup with Corn and Chiles

Tortilla Soup with Corn and Chiles
Yield: 6 to 10 generous servings
1 dried New Mexico chile pepper
2 cups boiling water
2 slices bacon
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp grated lime zest (colored portion of peel)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dried pinto beans,
soaked, cooked and drained (see note)
1 (28 oz) can tomatoes, undrained
6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 (4.5 oz) can mild green chiles, drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 tortillas, preferably corn, cut into 1-inch strips
Vegetable oil
Sour cream
1 to 2 avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
Finely chopped cilantro
In a small heatproof bowl, soak chile pepper in boiling water for 30
minutes. Drain. Discard stem and soaking water. Set chile aside. In a
large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain
thoroughly on paper towel. Crumble and set aside, covered, in refrigerator.
Drain all but 1 Tbsp fat from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to
pan; cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, lime
zest, salt, black pepper, and reserved New Mexico chile; cook, stirring
frequently, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Add beans.
Drain tomatoes; add 1 cup tomato liquid to processor. Process until smooth.
Transfer to slow cooker. If you prefer a smooth soup, add tomatoes to food
processor and process until smooth; otherwise, chop coarsely before adding
to slow cooker. Add broth. Cover crock. (If making ahead, refrigerate
overnight in removable crock or another container.) Cook on low for 8 to
10 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until mixture is bubbling and flavors
are combined. Stir in reserved bacon, mild green chiles and corn. Cover;
cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes, until corn is hot. While corn heats,
preheat oven to 400*. Brush tortilla strips with oil, place on baking sheet
and bake for 4 minutes per side, until crisp and golden. When ready to
serve, ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips, then with sour
cream, chopped avocado, red onion adn cilantro. Per serving, based on 6:
392 cals, 8g fat, 2g sat fat, 4mg chol, 15g pro, 65g carb, 9g sugar, 14g
fiber, 1718mg sodium, 161mg calcium, 1255mg potassium. Note: Canned beans
are a quick and easy substitute for cooked dried beans. For 2 cups cooked
beans, use a 15- or 16 oz can. Drain and rinse well under cold running water
before adding to the recipe.