Gaby’s Tortilla Soup
While on vacation in Mexico, we went on a walking food tour with Vallarta Food Tours that focused on the traditional dishes of the region combined with insightful historical notes as we leisurely strolled along with our guide, Ricardo (his title on his business card is, “Local Foodie”). Our small group of five stopped at TEN locations (yes TEN) and sampled everything from traditional moles, two street taco stands, a cevicheria, an artisanal chocolate shop, a fresh coconut stand, we tracked down a small man in a cowboy hat who makes the best Tuba (drink made from the palm of the coconut palm tree), a tortilla factory, and ended at a regional candy store. One pit stop found us at Gaby’s which is known for their delicious tortilla soup and amusingly enough, had a turtle cruising around the restaurant. To start the meal three consecutive shots: tequila, onto lime juice, and then Sangrita (not to be confused with Sangria) which tastily combines lime, orange, and tomato juice. The soup that followed was light, flavorful and showcased that simplicity and fresh ingredients always make for the best dishes. This is Gaby’s recipe that is both easy and made from ingredients most of us have in our pantry and a 20 minute soup? I say, “yes”!
- 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, preferably old and dried out
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles – 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.)
- 4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mild cheddar)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don’t have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add the chopped onions to the pan, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped chile and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the onions and chiles have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the broth, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through.
- To serve, pit, peel, and cut the avocado into 1-inch pieces. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.