Monday, May 4

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup

Makes eight bowls
Total price: NY $19.98 (with extra cilantro & tortilla chips)
Price per serving: NY $2.49

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
I was so excited to see tomatillos pop up again in the produce section. (Really, I almost clapped my hands in the middle of a crowded market. Cue jaded New Yorkers rolling their eyes and swerving to give the crazy girl a wide berth.)

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
Tomatillos have a nice bright flavor that really pops when mixed with cilantro, beer, and thyme in this soup.

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
  • 12 tomatillos (NY $1.99)
  • 2 medium zucchini (NY $0.89)
  • 1 large onion (NY $0.63)
  • 2 jalapeno peppers (NY $0.22)
  • 4 cloves garlic (NY $0..30 for one head)
  • 1 bottle Mexican beer (NY $1.49 for Corona)
  • 1 lb. chicken breast (NY $4.99)
  • 2 tsps. dried thyme (staple)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (NY $2.39)
  • 1 bunch scallions (NY $0.50)
  • 1 lime (NY $0.50)
  • 1 ½ tbsps olive oil (staple)
  • 1 ½ tbsps ground cumin (staple)*
  • Salt (staple)
  • Pepper (staple)
  • Tortilla chips (NY $2.59 for 1 bag)
  • A few tablespoons cilantro, to taste (NY $0.99)
  • 2 cups cotija cheese** (NY $2.50)
Tomatillo Tortilla Soup IngredientsDirections
Prepare tomatillos by removing the husks, rinsing (they’ll be sticky!), and then chopping roughly.

TomatillosChop the onion and zucchini into pieces of about the same size as the tomatillos. Seed the jalapenos by slicing them open lengthwise, then using the tip of the knife to scrape out the seeds. (Be careful not to touch the seeds with your fingers. If you happen to by mistake, then be *really* careful not to rub your eyes with your hands.) Mince the garlic.

Tomatillos and Onions
In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat, and add the chopped produce along with the cumin, some salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Meanwhile, slice the chicken into ½ inch wide strips and set aside.

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
Cook the vegetables approx. 7-8 minutes, until the onion is softened and yellow, and the tomatillos become saucy. (Truly, it’s a cheeky and impertinent vegetable. You’ll see!) Add the beer to the vegetables and cook until reduced by about half, approx. 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and thyme, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove cover, reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken and cook over a low boil for about 6 minutes.

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
While soup is cooking, slice the scallions, chop the cilantro, and cut lime into small wedges.

When the soup is ready, ladle into bowls and squeeze juice from a lime wedge into each. Allow your guests to top as they please with tortilla chips, scallions and cilantro.

*I like this heavy on the cumin: goes easier on it if you’re not as rabid a fan.

**If you do not like or can not find cotija cheese, feel free to substitute Monterey Jack.


Tomatillo Tortilla Soup
Nutritional Facts
Approximate values per bowl
Calories 277.8Vitamin A 7.8 %Iron 13.0 %
Total Fat 16.0 gVitamin B-12 12.4 %Magnesium 12.4 %
Cholesterol 64.7 mgVitamin B-6 23.9 %Manganese 23.8 %
Sodium 733.3 mgVitamin C 19.2 %Niacin 51.7 %
Potassium 606.0 mgVitamin D 0.0 %Phosphorus 38.3 %
Total Carbohydrate 11.0 gVitamin E 4.4 %Riboflavin 16.6 %
Fiber 2.1 gCalcium 29.1 %Selenium 26.9 %
Sugars 2.8 gCopper 12.0 %Thiamin 6.8 %
Protein 23.2 gFolate 6.2 %Zinc 13.6 %

25 comments:

  1. Watch out Campbells and other soup companies! This looks really good! I will have to try it.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks excellent! Gave you a stumble on StumbleUpon. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh man. My mouth started watering as soon as I saw the title of the post. And with the pictures? Excuse me as I frantically search for something even remotely similar for lunch.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A wonderful, wonderful post!! Looks like a Santa Barbara dish? We will do this one for sure. best, s

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh wow, i love soup and this is exactly what I need right now. it looks so colorful, perfect for spring and summer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks great! I love tomatillos. Most recipes I have seen puree the tomatillos in a blender/food processor. I like that you left everything chunky - I am a fan of chunky soups!

    ReplyDelete
  7. ninjapenguin@foodbuzzMay 4, 2009 at 11:01 PM

    I love tomatillos, and I've never seen them in a tortilla soup before. Is there a strong beer flavor to the end result? I'm not a huge fan of the taste of most beers, but I know cooking (particularly with stuff as strong tasting as tomatillos, cumin, and cilantro) will change the flavor.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This recipe looks so terrific! I love that you give the nutritional info too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That looks wonderful! I almost jump for joy when I see tomatillos finally because then I know salsa verde is coming and love that on enchiladas. I will have to try this soup, it looks wonderful! I get those same eyerolls at the store when I get excited about something cool LOL I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love tomatillos, and I love tortilla soup, so this has to be good! Thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks delicious! I also saw tomatillos in my NYC grocery store the other day. I was excited - I'll have to try this instead of just popping them all on the grill like I usually do!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Glad to see we're not the only ones excited about tomatillos!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks amazing! I love tomatillos also. I haven't noticed any at our local stores yet but I'll definitely be watching for them now.

    Following Katie's lead and stumbling!

    ReplyDelete
  14. i am foaming at the mouth... i'm a fan of tortilla soup... but have never had anything like your GORGEOUS GREENY soup! love the color... mmmMMM cilantro! i wonder, how well does this work in a crock pot?

    ReplyDelete
  15. looks beautiful! healthy as well! the greens are gorgeous. thanks for the great recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  16. that looks delicious indeed - and I never know what to do with tomatillos (not very common where I come from). Now I know. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. We love tomatillos, we grow them in our yard along with the tomatoes and peppers for our salsa. I'm always on the lookout for another good tomatillo recipe, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This looks great, and I love tomatillos - this looks like a much lighter fresh version of tortilla soup than I am used to seeing, I will have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great use of tomatillos. Normally I only use it in salsa, but I will have to try it in soup.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Looks yummy...wish I could taste it..:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ninjapenguin: belatedly, if you're not a fan of beer, I would try this with only half a bottle. It doesn't have a strong beer taste as is, but its definitely there. Cutting the amount in half should be enough to still add some depth of flavor but without being too strong for someone who doesn't care for beer.

    Appropriated Muffin: we don't actually have a crockpot, so I unfortunately can't give you any guidance. If you try it and it works out, let us know!

    ReplyDelete
  22. This looks really delicious... would love to taste it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This looks delicious. Wish my computer screen was 'scratch and sniff.' I'm printing the recipe for dinner this week. Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
  24. This looks delish. I just printed it and will make it soon. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I made it tonight and it was fabulous and the entire family had seconds and thirds! Another rec(ession)cipe idea is to add white beans to the soup--making it last just a little longer!

    ReplyDelete

All text and photos © 2009-2010 REC(ession)IPES