Unlike the prior recipes, this one calls for fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes. I decided to stick with that even tho it was a ton more work, but I wanted to see how the fresh would compare with the canned. To prep the tomatoes as the recipe suggested, I cut them in quarters and removed the seeds and membranes. I then cut into 1/2 inch pieces to yield 5 cups. This wasn't so bad. I wore gloves to protect my fingers from getting wrinkled by the water from the tomatoes, and I had some time to kill as I waited for the chipotles to cook.
The recipe also called for dried chipotle peppers rather than the canned chipotle. I found the peppers at Chavez Market in the cellophane package. But... I could not find a package of chipotles. I googled it and tried to find a chile that looked like the picture. I ended up with "Chili Pasilla" which worked just fine. To cook the peppers, I boiled them in hot water for 30 minutes and then removed from the pan and saved the liquid left in the pan. Before soaking, I should have removed the chili seed and membranes, but it wasn't too bad doing that after the chilis were cooked. I chopped the peppers and set them aside. Although the recipe called for only 4 peppers, I cooked more just in case the soup needed more heat (and it did!). I also strained the cooking liquid through a sieve and paper towel.
As much as I love using fresh ingredients, I think the soup would have been just as good with the canned tomato and chipotle in adobo sauce. And it would have saved tons of time, effort and money. And with the organic canned tomatoes, it would have been healthy too! Oh well, you don't know until you try.
After the prep of the chilis and tomatoes, the rest went quickly. I sauteed the chopped onions in olive oil for a few minutes then added the garlic and peppers, stirring for a minute or so. Next, I added the tomatoes, strained liquid from cooking the chilis, chicken stock, salt, and cumin. I brought this to a simmer and let it continue to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
I then used my immersion blender to puree. I tasted the soup hear and added more salt, cumin and chili and placed in the fridge to cool overnight.
The next day I served the soup cold with a dollup of sour cream and sprinkle of cilantro. The soup was good but, truthfully neither myself nor the rest of the fam was overwhelmed. But I didn't want to waste, so I took a big bowl full to work for lunch the next day. Under the cold A/C of the office, I decided to eat the soup hot for lunch. What a difference! Heated up the smokey flavors of the chili really showed up! I brought enough for a coworker and he loved it too (also warm).
So the moral of the story is, this soup is awesome served warm, and if you are serving warm, feel free to use the canned tomatoes and chipotle in adobo to save some time and money. And don't skimp on the chili!
Ingredients
1 bag dried chipotle peppers (or canned chipotle in adobo sauce) / $2.49 / Chavez market
3 lbs tomatoes / $1.50/ lb = $4.50 / Real Produce
1/4 cup olive oil / from home
2 cups chopped onion / from home
1 tablespoon minced garlic / from home
2 cups chicken broth / $1.99 / Trader Joe's
kosher salt / from home
2 teaspoons ground cumin / from home (more to taste)
sour cream / $1.79 / Trader Joe's (optional)
1/4 cups chopped cilantro / $0.99 / Chavez Market (optional)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Taste: 4 stars
Prep: lots of prep if using fresh tomatoes and peppers
Cost: $11.76 ($1.96 per serving)
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