Bacon and Egg Tortilla Soup
Cinco de Mayo is one week from today. Can you believe it? One week! So, of course I wanted to bring you a Mexican dish to serve on this holiday that, these days, seems to be all about the Margarita. You could easily go with tacos or burritos, or make it really simple and just order in. But you know me, I’d rather cook up something delicious!
It’s been chilly here the past couple weeks. Actually Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind. Some days are freezing, then the next day will be super hot. It’s tough to know what to make when the weather can’t decide what mood its in. But there’s one dish that’s good no matter how hot or cold it is: soup. Soups are obviously great when the wind and snow are howling outside, but they’re just as comforting when it’s balmy and the sun is high in the sky. I love soup. It’s like a giant hug in bowl form.
While most soups can be served hot or cold, this soup is best served hot. Tortilla Soup, also known as Sopa Azteca de Tortilla, is a classic Mexican dish that’s rich in both flavors and aromas. But like most soups, this one has a base that can be made your own depending on what you add or take away. The classic dish starts with a good chicken stock combined with roasted tomatoes, raw onion, garlic, chiles and fried tortilla strips. After that it’s up to the cook. I’ve had tortilla soup with tomatillos. I’ve had it with avocadoes and cilantro. I’ve even had it with ground beef. No matter what you choose to throw in, as long as it has roasted tomatoes, onions, chilies and of course tortilla chips, you’re golden.
Since I’m not a spice girl, the only thing that trips me up in the Tortilla Soup must-haves are the chilies. I’m always concerned about the number of chilies used… in pretty much in anything. But I love flavor. Flavor is so important in any dish, but none as much as this one. The last thing you want is a bland Tortilla Soup. I’ve had bland Mexican food and there’s no coming back from that. Recipes without spice simply aren’t worth having. But spice doesn’t mean the dish needs to be spicy. There are plenty of spices out there that can be used simply for flavor. So, since I know Tortilla soup should have chilis in it, I used them. But I tempered their heat by discarding the seeds and veins of the jalapeños. That combined with cooking them for a good hour, meant I got all the amazing pepper flavor without much heat. Don’t get me wrong, the heat was there, it just wasn’t over powering. Add a little dollop of sour cream or chop up some avocados and you won’t notice it at all.
While most Tortilla Soups are a hearty chicken soup with chilis, tomatoes and tortilla strips, this version is a classic breakfast-for-dinner scenario. It has both bacon and eggs in it. But if you don’t want to wait until dinner to start the celebration, that’s okay. This soup is also a great way to get your day started, making it perfect for a Cinco de Mayo brunch with friends. Because it’s full of eggs, bacon, cabbage and carrots, it will definitely set you up for all those margaritas waiting for you later on.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2-4 jalapenos, chopped (depending how spicy you want it)
- 1/2 cabbage head, diced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 gallon chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10-15 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the oil and let heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, carrots, celery and cabbage and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin and chili powder until the veggies are coated.
- Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the beaten eggs, continue to cook over low heat for another 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The eggs will cook in the soup and become stringy.)
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Spoon the soup into bowls, top with tortilla chips and serve.
