Recipe courtesy of Jeffrey Saad

Main Challenge: Roasted Tomato and Red Chili Soup

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 45 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Cook: 25 min
  • Yield: 6 appetizer servings

Ingredients

Soup:

Quesadilla Crouton:

Cilantro Sour Cream:

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cut 1 chile pepper in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. Chop the chile and add to the onions; saute until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the chile mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.* Return the puree to the pot. Seed and chop the roasted chile and add to the soup along with the lime juice.
  3. Ladle soup into bowls. Then lay a Quesadilla Crouton in the soup and top with a dollop of Cilantro Sour Cream.

Quesadilla Crouton:

  1. Lay 2 tortillas on a working surface. Divide the cheese between the tortillas. Sprinkle the cumin among the tortillas. Top each with the remaining 2 tortillas. Place on grill and cook until golden brown on the outside and the cheese starts to melt.
  2. Cut the quesadillas into 1/2-inch strips. Then cut each strip on an angle to create 2 smaller strips.

Cilantro Sour Cream:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Cook’s Note

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.