Skip to main content

Tomato Tortilla Soup

This thick, flavorful Southwestern soup comes together easily using pantry items.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6, yields 9 cups

Ingredients

3 cups diced onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 quart vegetable broth (see page 295)
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce (see page 286), or more to taste
1 1/2 cups crumbled corn tortilla chips

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the cumin and oregano and stir for a minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Pulverize the tortilla chips in a blender. Add about 3 cups of the hot soup to the blender and purée until smooth. To make pouring easier, add another cup of hot soup and whirl on low speed. Stir the purée into the simmering soup pot. Serve hot.

  2. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 3

    Garnish the soup with chopped avocados, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or chopped fresh cilantro. For a complete Mexican-style supper, pair the soup with Bean & Cheese Quesadillas (page 141). Assemble the quesadillas while the soup cooks. Serve natural lime frozen fruit bars or Mango Coconut Sorbet (page 271) for dessert.

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
Read More
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like carrot farro salad and chicken paella.
Like miso-peanut hibachi chicken and spring orzotto.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
A crowd-friendly, crisp-edged chicken and vegetable rice from chef José Andrés.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Think a Hugo spritz, a gin basil smash, and plenty more patio-ready pours.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.