“Mom, this is going to be fun!”
That’s what my six year old said when we sat down to dinner last night. My kids loved this meal! It’s nothing fancy, just a yummy soup; the fun part is all in the presentation.
The broth for this soup is prepared first and simmers to intensify the taste. Next, quickly sear the steak strips. Now, here comes the fun part. The steak and all of the remaining ingredients go into individual serving bowls. Then everyone gets to “build” their own bowl of soup. The directions state to add steak, corn, beans and tomato to each person’s bowl then ladle the broth over the top. Next add the garnishes. But, in reality my kids added the ingredients quite haphazardly. They were excited to make their bowl different from their siblings.
This worked great for my family because the kids were able to add more of the ingredients they especially like and a little less of the others. The best part was when my husband came home and the kids walked him through the process step by step. Heaven forbid he should get it “wrong”!
Basically, we had an assembly line and it worked great!
(I will post photos as soon as I win the never-ending battle with my photo software.)
Steak and Tortilla Soup adapted from Fine Cooking
2 T. olive oil, divided1/2 C finely chopped onion2 T. chili powder1 T. cumin2 T. tomato paste1 1/2 quarts beef broth2 C. water12 2-inch fresh cilantro stems
Individual Ingredients:2 8-oz sirloin steaks (or steak of choice)
8 fresh corn tortillas, 6 inches across, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips1/2 C. canola oil
1 C. corn kernels (canned or frozen. I used frozen and heated them in the microwave for a couple of minutes)
1 C. canned black beans, rinsed and drained1 1/2 C. diced fresh tomato
Garnish:2 ripe avocados, diced and tossed with a squeeze of lime juice1/2 C. crumbled queso fresco4 dollops sour cream1/2 C roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaveslime wedges for serving
Saute the onion in 1 T. olive oil until softened. Add chili powder, cumin, and tomato paste. Stir and cook one minute. Pour in broth, water and cilantro stems. Simmer, uncovered until the broth has reduced by about one-third and is quite flavorful, 30-40 minutes.
Fry tortilla strips: In a pot or high sided sauce pan, pour enough canola oil to come to about a 1-inch depth. Heat over medium heat; when it reaches 375° F, add 6-8 tortilla strips. Fry until the strips aren’t bubbling much and have become pale brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining strips.
Trim all fat from steaks and slice into 1/4 inch strips. Sprinkle with salt. Heat 1 t. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add steak and sear both sides.
Place steak, corn, black beans, tomato and tortilla strips into individual serving bowls. Reheat broth if necessary, so it is piping hot. Allow each person to assemble their own bowl of soup, pouring broth over the ingredients. Add garnish of choice.
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