Mushroom Tortilla Soup with Chipotle Chile and Goat Cheese

A vegetarian tortilla soup bursting with flavor

Cuisine Southwestern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 173kcal

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil or lard
A little oil to spray or brush on corn tortillas
4 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
1 small sweet onion sliced
1-15 ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice or 4 - 6 plum tomatoes, rough chopped
6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
8 ounces mushrooms full flavored (shiitake preferred) cleaned and sliced
Salt to taste
6 corn tortillas
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo removed from canning sauce, seeds and veins removed if you want less heat
4 ounces goat cheese broken apart into 1/2 inch cubes
1 inch large ripe avocado pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2- cubes
1 leaves large bunch of watercress only, rough chopped

In a medium large saucepan heat the oil or lard over medium. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring regularly until golden. About 7 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the garlic and onion, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible and transfer to a food processor or blender. Set the pan aside. Add the tomatoes to the garlic and onion and process to a smooth puree.
Set the saucepan over medium-high heat. Wen hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until it has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and mushrooms and bring to a boil, them partially cover and gently simmer over medium to medium low heat for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon depending on the saltiness of your broth.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips. Spread the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray or lightly brush with oil and toss to coat. Set in the oven and bake, stirring around every couple of minutes or so, until lightly browned and crispy. About 8 minutes.
Serving the soup. Cut open the chipotle chiles and scrape out the seeds. Cut the chiles into thin strips. In each soup bowl place a portion of the cheese and cubed avocado, a generous sprinkling of the watercress leaves and a few strips of the chipotle. Ladle the broth into the bowls and top each with a handful of crispy tortilla strips.
Serve immediately.