Tortilla Soup

Picture this.

You find a recipe that you desparetly want to try.

It seems a little time-consuming,

but you think "It's going to taste so good - so it's worth the time."

Many minutes later, you go for the first bite,

and....

YUCK! Your face may look something like that.

Let's talk about these disaster-cooking experiences in relation to soup so that soup never makes your face look like that!

First, it is EXTREMELY difficult to "ruin" a soup. Almost any soup tastes good.

But, if the end result of soup recipe doesn't quite match your preferences, here are some easy tune-ups to get your taste buds singing!

My soup is TOO salty. Is it ruined?

       Peel and dice a potato. It will absorb the salt and make your soup taste less salty.

My soup is boring! It is missing something... What can help?

• A little bit of salt and pepper can go along way
• If you are watching your salt intake, adding fresh or dried herbs can also add flavor
• Garnishing soups with a fresh squeeze of citrus or a sprinkle of strong-flavored cheese can also add a punch of flavor without adding a lot of calories
• For a different approach, try sprinkling with nutritional yeast, it adds a cheesy/salty flavor without adding sodium! Looks for Mrs. Braggs in the "fancy nutrition" section of the grocery store.

My soup is too thick. How can I thin it?

This is a common problem with leftover soups that have been in the refrigerator overnight.

• Just add more liquid! Milk, broth or water can ease your thick soup troubles. Start with 1/2 cup increments and work your way up until you reach the desired consistency

My soup is thin. How can I thicken it?

There are lots of ways to thicken soup. Here are just a few:

• Remove some of the soup and mash/puree it and return to the rest of the soup
• Pureed potatoes, squash, and beans or nonfat dry milk are great thickeners
• Add crushed tortilla chips to your soup if it will go well with the flavor. They will dissolve and give the soup a nice, thick texture. (Note: soups thickened with tortilla chips do not freeze well

The Tortilla soup below uses tortilla chips as thickener and is a favorite of USU Dietetics Students!  And that brings us to the recipe for today....

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 sm. onion thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced thinly
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1/2" pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
24 oz diced, canned tomatoes
24 oz vegetable broth
4 oz. baked tortilla chips (about 2 cups) divided
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 lime

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a 4 qt pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, jalapenos, and green pepper in oil until onion is translucent, about 5 min. Add garlic and salt and sauté for another minute.
2. Add tomatoes to pot, including the juice.
3. Fill the tomato can with the vegetable broth and add that to the pot.
4. Mix in the cumin. Crush 2 oz. of the chips into crumbs (some bigger pieces are ok) and add to the pot.
5. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, add the beans, corn and cilantro, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. Add the lime juice and taste for salt and seasoning. Ladle the soup into bowls, crumble the remaining tortilla chips over the top.

Nutritional Information (10 oz. serving): 160 calories, 6 g protein, 4 g fat, 7.5 g fiber