Sopa Azteca

After graduating college, I loafed around in Mexico for a few months. I rented a little apartment above the garage of a wonderful Mexican family who took me under their wing. The mother made this very flavorful sopa Azteca with interesting textures. It was my favorite dish of the whole trip. I had to watch her make this soup and literally count out all the ingredients because she made this soup from her heart, not from a recipe.

Step: 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add chile peppers and boil until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers to a dish and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes; reserve chile water. Remove and discard stems and seeds from peppers, keeping a few seeds if you like a spicy soup.

Step: 2

Combine chiles, tomatoes, onion, bouillon, oregano, and thyme in an electric blender; add as much reserved chile water as possible to fill line. Blend until liquefied.

Step: 3

Strain chile mixture into a large pot. Add remaining chile water, adding additional water if necessary. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step: 4

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry tortilla strips in the hot oil under golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Step: 5

Distribute soup evenly between serving bowls and garnish with fried tortilla strips, crema, lime wedges, and avocado.

Per Serving: 388 calories; protein 6.1g; carbohydrates 34.9g; fat 28.4g; cholesterol 20.5mg; sodium 364mg.

The name of “stew” can process to 2 time a food and a cooking method. Stewing involves slowly cooking piece of meat, raw fruit or beans in a flavorful liquid . It’s similar to braising, but it does have a few piece of differences. The raw animal vested is chopped into smaller pieces instead of being cooked whole , and the liquid completely covers the contents in a stew as compared to a braise’s halfway all of it . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a perception for making a rib-sticking meal that comfortable you up on a cold , winter day. It’s true ; a bowl of old menu of beef stew can make warming properties , but stew’s cozy factor more than a way beyond preserving you from the chill . It’s all about those soft and chunks of food and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The way they come together make the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.