Tortilla Soup

Was totally unaware that girlichef had a Tortilla Soup Search going on when I made this from her recipe... Which means I was probably heavily sidetracked by the gorgeous photos and my thirst for a creamy, chickeny, spicy soup since she stated so right on the recipe.

Don't think this counts in her competition since it's basically an exact replica of her recipe, albeit a little chunkier and with lower quality photos. But it really was delicious and sooo worth making!

In other news: I experienced Northampton Restaurant Week three times last week and am throwing together a post about it soon. If your town/nearby city does a Restaurant Week, by all means do try it! It's a great way to try out some of the fancier restaurants at a reasonable price, and since it's three courses you can nibble a bit of a few different things! Just remember to tip your servers a little bit better on these nights, being a former restaurant worker myself I know how frustrating it is when "specials" take a chunk out of your tips for the night (example: if a three course meal should have been $50, and Restaurant Week gives you the $20 deal for it, the server loses more than half their expected tip--you all tip 20% right??). When you make less than $3/hr, that hurts.

I also got to visit NYC yesterday, and though I took pictures of the foods I enjoyed there, I really didn't try hard to find anything good. I was at the mercy of The Day Trip, so quick n' easy won out over fancy n' delicious. Next time I hope to stay for longer than a day, and actually seek out something better than Whole Foods Sushi and NYC Street Hotdog... both of which were sadly disappointing. Pig n' Whistle Pub near Times Square was actually pretty good though!

Anyways. Do try this Tortilla Soup. Us in the Northeast know that it's been pretty roller-coaster-ish when it comes to weather this "summer"--it's a pretty chilly day out today!

Creamy Tortilla Soup
(recipe from Girlichef)

• olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeds removed from one, stem from both
• 4 corn tortillas, ripped into small pieces
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. turmeric 
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies 
• 1 large can chicken broth or stock (the Juice-Can-Sized kind)
• 2 cup. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
• 1 cup corn kernels
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

-Dry-roast corn in a skillet until small black blisters form. Set aside.

-Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to color. 

Add tortillas, chiles, and spices and sauté for another few minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Pour in tomatoes w/ their juices and the chicken broth/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let bubble gently for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. 

-Purée in batches in a blender. I left one batch un-blended, since I love a good chunky soup.

Add chicken and corn and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for ~5 minutes or until it has thickened up a bit. Turn off heat and stir in cream and cheese. Season to taste with salt.

-For garnish: Cut a corn tortilla into strips and fry in vegetable oil until crispy.