My Mini Mexican Vacation - Spicy Tortilla Soup

It’s about that time of term (week 6) when I get a bit homesick and begin to crave Midwestern eats. On top of that it’s been raining for about three days straight. Well, the rain is anything but straight… umbrellas, hoods….nothing hides you from the horrid sideways rain and howling wind off the North Sea. My solution, as it often is, was to cook.  And not to cook just anything, no, I chose to make a massive pot of warming Mexican tortilla soup, thus solving both my cold and my craving for Chipotle (a burrito fast food place).

This soup has evolved over the last two years. It used to be quite simple, mainly focused on the chicken and the tortilla chips, because I didn't like tomatoes or cheese back then, and couldn't find black beans in the grocery store (Sainsbury's does now carry them). As I have matured, so has this soup, and it is now far more complex, and consequently, far more satisfying. 

I begin with a couple crushed and chopped garlic cloves, a sliced red onion, a diced bell pepper (any colour will do), and one or two chopped chili peppers. All of that goes in a big soup pot with a big glug of vegetable oil. Then I pour in the spices. Cumin, coriander, salt and pepper are the standards, added in copious amounts, then I typically add a dash of cinnamon and occasionally a teaspoon of chili powder. If you have fajita seasoning, you can just use that instead of everything else. Let the vegetables and spices get hot and friendly together. Your kitchen will start to smell really good and spicy. When the veg is soft, about 5 minutes, tip in a can of chopped tomatoes, two handfuls of (uncooked) rice, and then a whole lot of chicken or vegetable stock. Let boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to simmer. Now add frozen corn, black beans, a few tablespoons of sugar (any kind will do), and shredded chicken if using. Stir and let the soup simmer for ten minutes or so until the rice is cooked. Take that time to chop up an avocado, grate some cheddar cheese and put out the tortilla chips. 

I usually make this soup with the chicken in it, but Meghan has recently gone veggie, so I prepared the chicken separately this time. I took two chicken breasts, coated them in cumin, coriander, salt and pepper with a drizzle of oil and baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 200c, turning them over once. I let them cool a bit before I took two forks and shredded them into spoon-friendly pieces. Everyone then added the amount they wanted to their soup. This soup could also be made totally without chicken, and is still hearty enough with the beans and rice. 

Heap lots of soup into a bowl, sprinkle on some cheese, crumble on some chips and lightly put a bit or two of avocado on top (although I don't like avocado so I leave it off, as you can see in the picture). If you’re feeing fancy, you can squeeze some lime juice over the top before serving, or serve with a wedge of lime on the side of the bowl like a soup margarita.

Watch out! This soup makes your nose run. You can however tailor the level of spiciness to suit yourself. If you want it milder, use one green chili pepper, and go light on the cumin. If you want it spicy, use one or two red chili peppers and season heavily. Also, the longer you heat chili the spicier it gets, so the heat will intensify the next day if there are any leftovers. Or make it ahead of time to really let the flavours develop.

PS. This soup tastes great with a Corona. It’s like a mini Mexican vacation without having left Scotland. I'm not encouraging drinking early in the day or anything, but this soup and a beer at lunch will keep you warm during your long, cold and wet walk back to the library.