Tortilla Soup

Cooler weather makes me crave warm and comforting dishes, especially soup. Whenever I make soup, I want it to be hearty, flavorful and filling. The secret for this tortilla soup is using Pacific Foods Tortilla Soup Base. It’s already perfectly seasoned, and it has a thick consistency. So you get soup that tastes like it has been simmering for hours in less than 15 minutes.

I like to season ground beef in advance, if I have the time. But you will get a lot of flavor even if you just mix in the seasoning ingredients right before cooking. The fun part about making tortilla soup is all the garnishes you can use. You can set all them out on a plate, and let everyone top their soup with their favorite garnishes.

For convenience, you can use store-bought tortilla strips. Or you can easily make your own in less than 5 minutes. In either case, sprinkling the tortilla strips with a bit of chili powder gives them an extra kick.

Tortilla Soup
(serves 4)
• 1 lb of ground beef
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
• 32 ounce container of Pacific Soup Tortilla Soup Base
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and strained
Garnishes:
• Tortilla strips seasoned with salt and chili powder
• 1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, and cut into cubes
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• Lime wedges
• ¼ cup sliced olives
• Cilantro
Procedure
1. Season the ground beef, with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion, powder, coriander, and cumin.
2. Heat oil in a medium pot, and add the beef. Cook until browned.
3. Add in the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add in the Taco Soup Base and black beans. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Serve, and garnish with your favorite toppings.

To make your own tortilla strips: cut 4 corn tortillas into strips. Cover the bottom of a skillet with sunflower oil and place on medium-high heat. Add in the tortilla strips and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate covered with paper towel. Season the tortilla strips with salt and chili powder.

Disclaimer: Pacific Foods sent me samples of two soup starters to experiment with. I received no remuneration for this blog post. All opinions are my own.