Tortila Soup Recipe from Bel Air Hotel

Oh, yes, this is THE best tortilla soup I have ever had. All the flavors simmer together for about an hour making this soup just divine. This is a thick tortilla soup, not brothy. Also, this is NOT what I would call a "clean" food since the tortilla strips are fried. But I didn't want to try it with baking the tortilla strips since I just knew it wouldn't be the same. And in all honesty, you know me and moderation. I'm not eating this everyday so I think it's just fine. And in addition, it's a nice mental break for me to just make a recipe the way it's supposed to be made. So with no further ado, I present Tortilla Soup from the Bel-Air Hotel!

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

 NOTE: READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND PREP 

ALL INGREDIENTS BEFORE STARTING!!!!

 12 6" yellow corn tortillas

1/2 cup vegetable oil plus additional for frying tortillas

1/4 cup chopped leek (white part)

1 T ground cumin

1 T paprika

1 t New Mexico chili powder

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 t ground coriander seeds

2 cups chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 lbs) - I used canned because I was lazy but it's definitely better with fresh!

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

3 bay leaves

8 cups chicken stock

Accompaniments: 

diced grilled chicken breast (or rotisserie)

freshly grated cheddar or cheese of your choice

diced avocado

fresh cilantro

remaining tortilla strips

Cut tortillas into 2" x 1/4" strips. In a 10-12 inch skillet heat 1/2 inch oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and fry tortilla strips in 4 batches, stirring occasionally, until pale golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer strips to paper towels to drain.

Mmmmm....tortilla strips!

 Rinse and drain leek. In a 7-8 quart heavy kettle cook 3/4 tortilla strips with cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and ground coriander in 1/2 cup oil over moderate heat, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add leek, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chopped corieander, bay leaves, and stock. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. 

Soup before simmering

  Cool soup 10 minutes. Puree in food processor (in batches) or blender until smooth. Force soup through a fine sieve into a clean pot pressing hard on solids and discard them. Season with salt! 

Ladle soup into bowls and add accompaniments as desired. I personally used a lot of chicken.

*Can be made 3 days in advance or make and freeze. This soup freezes incredibly well!