Sopa de Tortilla

Craving Mexican? Then soup it up! Sopa de Tortilla is hot and spicy – much like an Indian plato, and fantastically muy bien. Put on your sombrero and get ready to conjure up an exciting Mexican meal – something that would adorn the dining table today.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken breast – 2 medium
• Onion – diced, 1 1/2 cups
• Tomatoes – diced, 2 cups
• Red bell peppers – half of a big bell pepper, diced
• Garlic – minced, 2 tsp
• Black beans – 1 (15 oz. can)
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp (dry roast and grind)
• Red chilli flakes – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Chicken broth – 4 cups
• Salt – to taste

For marinade –

For toppings –

METHOD:

• Combine chicken with ingredients under “For marinade”. Leave aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Bake it in oven at 375 F for 45 minutes. Let cool and pull/shred chicken with the help of a fork.
• Take a large pot and heat the oil. Add onion and garlic, and sauté taking care that the garlic doesn’t burn. Put tomatoes, bell peppers, cumin powder and red chilli flakes. Red bell peppers and red chilli flakes are great flavor enhancers so don’t substitute them. Add salt but go easy since you will be adding chicken broth later.
• Open your can of black beans and pour the contents in the pot. Put shredded chicken. Continue to cook and stir in medium high heat for 2 minutes.
• Put chicken broth and mix the liquid with the solids. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat, and cover and cook for 45 minutes. Adjust salt and other spices.
• Take 4 corn tortillas and cut them in long, thin strips. Shallow fry in oil till they brown well on both sides and turn crispy.
• Pour soup into individual bowls. The toppings add an interesting twist so don’t skip them. Go, go…sip and slurp!

Yield – 2 – 3 servings