Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup


Do you love pumpkin as much as I do? Do you wanna try a meatless tortilla soup? If so, today is your lucky day. I found this fab recipe at Apartment Therapy-one of my all time favorite sites. You have to try it. It's delicious!

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup
Serves 6
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Chile pequins, other dried hot peppers, or cayenne pepper to taste*
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for deep-frying**
1-2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
Cut 6 of the tortillas into 1/2-inch squares.
Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, cilantro, and chopped tortillas and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft.
Add cumin and crushed peppers or cayenne and sauté for another minute.
Add pumpkin, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.
While the soup is simmering, cut the remaining 6 tortillas in half and then into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Fry tortilla strips in two batches until crisp and light golden (about a minute). Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla strips to towels to drain.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro.
*You can tailor the type and amount of hot pepper to your own tastes. We usually make this with a couple of crushed chile pequins but have also used cayenne pepper, which is more readily available. If you're not sure how much to use, start with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, taste the soup after it has simmered for awhile, and then add more if desired.
** I skipped the frying and just baked my tortillas.

If you are on weight watchers this is 4 points per serving.

***Picture off of Apartment Therapy site***

4 Grass Lovers:

Nancy said...

That actually sounds very good.

I like pumpkin, too. Although not more than tomatoes. :)

And I've been trying to convince Andrew to let me make a pumpkin soup but he is quite afraid of that prospect.

He felt that way about borscht, too, until I made it...and then he was like, "There are beets in here? Where?"

Maybe I'll try this. :)

Layla said...

You have to try it! I was a little scared at first, but it's sooo good. You can hardly taste pumpkin in it, he will never know...

Myrna said...

This sounds good. Josie and I had the BEST pumpkin soup when we were in Australia, and we want to find something similar without having to go all that way...okay, we would really like to go all that way again, but still, having some good pumpkin soup would help. And Layla, I have just been reading all the nice things you have to say about the people in your life. Very nice.

Sharon Beesley said...

yes. i will have to try that. good find.