I'm such a soup snob, but this one restaurant back home in McLean, Virginia called J Gilbert's has the most amazing tortilla soup EVER. So tasty and definitely low calorie/low fat if you get it without cheese. Ever since my family discovered this place a few years ago then this has been my go to spot for elegant lunches with my mom and sisters where we get soup and wraps and don't feel disgustingly full by the end of the meal. I was craving the soup recently but since I'm hundreds of miles away I figured why not try my hand at it. This is my version of the soup minus the cheese and tortilla chips, but if you want, sprinkle a tiny bit of shredded cheese/dairy free cheese because a little goes a long way and adds a little extra flavor. This soup takes me 30 minutes max, minus the time to boil the beans (or if you are adding chicken). It's usually my quick comfort fix.
The star ingredient of this soup is avocado. Avocado is an amazing source of healthy fats and will NOT make you fat! I don't know who in the world came up with that theory but it's so ridiculous I want to find them and shake them and ask them "WHY?!?!?"
Anyways, yes... avocado. This soup is nothing without it, and yes you might think it's odd for avocado to be in a hot soup but just slice it and put it in the soup right before you drink it and it's so amazingly creamy and delicious. I die every time. I actually devour this soup so fast that there's literally soup running down my chin. Unfortunately I'm not exaggerating which is gross, but you get the point!
You can play around with this recipe and add chicken but I'm not really a chicken-in-my-soup kinda gal (soup snob, remember?) so I added black beans to really capture that southwest feel. If you're not into tomatoes, use only broth instead. Add in rice, quinoa, whatever!
Sara's Southwest Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans or 1 cup boiled dried black beans
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 6 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 small onion
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne or chili powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 avocado
- Brown rice, quinoa, cheese optional
Method:
- Boil beans if using dry after soaking them overnight, or pre saute/partially cook chicken if using
- Chop up onions and garlic and add to pot with a little butter, cook until onions are translucent
- Add in chicken stock, diced tomatoes and seasonings
- Simmer for about 10 minutes until flavors come together
- If using chicken, add in now and simmer at a low heat until cooked
- Add in corn and pre cooked beans/canned beans
- Simmer for a few more minutes but make sure beans are not getting soggy
- Add salt & pepper to taste
- Pour into bowl, top with avocado, and let the chin drip begin!
- See, easy as pie! Which isn't actually all that easy..someone should actually change that phrase.
Tips:
- For your canned goods try out Eden brand as they do not use BPA in their cans, and with their beans they actually use kombu seaweed which helps the digestion of the beans so you don't get gassy ;)
- Do not omit the bay leaves! They are pretty much amazing and packed with flavor.
- You may want to throw the diced tomatoes into a blender prior to adding to your stock because the tomatoes are sometimes large and chunky and kind of get in the way. Or use the liquid from the can and use the tomatoes for something else later depending on your preference.
- Corn: Try to get organic of you can because if you are not it is highly likely the corn is Genetically Modified- something I try to avoid whenever possible. I get the frozen bag of corn when it's not in season like right now.
- Add in some diced sweet potatoes after adding in the chicken stock, adds some great texture and flavor
Enjoy and stay warm!
-Sara
What's your favorite soup for the winter?
looks amazingg!!!! come make me some!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll make it for you when I come visit! :)
ReplyDelete