Soup Summary

Last night I learned to make five soups at Sur La Table’s Hearty Soups for Cold Winter Days. The class was lots of fun, and I left quite full. (A second helping of my favorite chorizo, chickpea, and chard soup with garlic toasts did the trick.) Williams-Sonoma is offering a rival class Feb. 17 teaching the basic stock-making techniques, both meat- and vegetable-based stocks. And if that hasn’t gotten you in the mood for a bowl of goodness. Try this recipe from Greenz for their ancho tortilla soup:

(Serves 12 people)

9 corn tortillas
1 T cumin
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 white onion
1/2 T chipotle powder
2 Ancho chili peppers
1 T chopped garlic
7 cups water
1 T vegetable base
1 T salt

Add water, vegetable base, salt, cumin, chipotle powder, and bring to a boil. Fry tortillas. Add tortillas to mixture. Boil for 10 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes then blend mixture until smooth in blender. Garnish with avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chip.