Tortilla Soup

I love a good tortilla soup. But I'm picky about my tortilla soup. I like the kind that is thick and tangy with a bit of a bite to it. Unfortunately, not all tortilla soup fits that description. There are brothy tortilla soups (not the same), smoky tortilla soups (not for me), and all sorts of tortilla soups done not to my liking at all.

So when a friend of mine sent me this recipe from Martha Stewart, I decided to try it. Much to my delight, I love it and so does my husband. In fact, he made a pot of it this afternoon for lunch, and added a bit more lime juice than suggested, which resulted in the best batch we've made to date. The recipe calls for a cup of crushed tortilla chips, which basically disolve in the soup--especially if you leave it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors marry, like we do--which sounds gross but is actually wonderful. It makes the soup a bit thicker and heartier.

I will say that what makes this soup really sing are the garnishes. A hefty dollop of guacamole and sour cream plus some shredded cheese make this soup ever so delicious and comforting on a cold night. I can't emphasize enough how easy this is to make. Serve it with warm crusty bread and butter and you've got yourself a meal.