Ancho Tortilla Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice 6 of the tortillas into 1-inch strips, and then arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer and spray with cooking spray. Bake until deeply golden, season with salt and reserve.
• Heat the corn oil in a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Chop the remaining 6 tortillas into 1 to 1 1/2-inch squares, and then stir into the pot 1 minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic, bay leaves, onions and cilantro, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and stir to toast the spices. Cook until the onions are translucent, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Pour in the stock with the tomatoes and chiles and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce the heat a bit and simmer to cook through, 15 minutes. Remove the chicken, slice or chop the breasts, and then return to the soup. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
• To serve, dice the avocados and cut the limes into wedges. Place some avocado at the bottom of each soup bowl and douse with a healthy squeeze of lime juice before filling the bowls with soup. At the table, top the soup with the baked tortilla strips, jalapenos, red onions, queso fresco and sour cream.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the tortillas into 1/2-inch strips and scatter on large baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and reserve.
• While the tortillas crisp, add the ancho chilies and the chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chiles are tender. Remove from the heat to cool.
• While the anchos simmer, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the corn and sauté until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat a little, add the onions, jalapeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Season with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes.
• Puree the anchos and the stock in a food processor, then add it to the soup pot. Stir in the honey and the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin the soup with 1 or 2 cups of water and simmer over low heat to combine flavors, about 5 minutes.
• Zest and juice 1 lime and add to the soup pot. Seed and dice the avocados and add to a small bowl. Dress with the juice of the remaining lime.
• Pile some crispy tortilla strips into each soup bowl. Top with diced avocado and ladle the soup over the avocado. Garnish with sour cream and whole or chopped cilantro leaves.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread tortilla strips on baking sheet sprayed with no stick cooking spray. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp and golden, stirring after 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add ancho chile pepper, cumin, garlic powder and bay leaves; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Thicken soup, if desired.
• To serve, place a small amount of chicken in each serving bowl. Ladle soup over top. Sprinkle with tortilla strips.