Recently served at the 32nd annual summer Lunch on the Mountain (although we missed one year), this soup was deemed quite acceptable by all. The recipe came from Gourmet, May 1997, and was attributed to the Hotel Bel-Air in LA. This is the original recipe. However I often taken a few liberties with it depending on what we have on hand and never use as much oil as the recipe calls for.
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for frying tortillas
- 1/4 cups leeks, chopped
- 1 tbsp. cumin, ground
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. New Mexico chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. coriander ground
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 2 c. onions, chopped
- 1/4 c. celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 c. tomato puree
- 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 c. chicken stock
- Diced cooked chicken
- Diced avocado
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Cut tortillas into 2- by 1/4-inch strips. Fry in 4 batches until golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Drain.
- In large heavy kettle cook three fourths tortilla strips with cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and ground coriander in 1/2 cup oil over moderate heat stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add leek, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato puree, chopped coriander, bay leaves, and stock. Bring soup to a boil and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
- Cool soup 10 minutes and in a food processor puree in batches until smooth, transferring to a bowl. Force soup through a fine sieve into cleaned kettle, pressing hard on solids and discarding them. Season with salt.
- Serve garnished with chicken, avocado, cheddar, and cilantro
