Tabula Rasa and My Tortilla Soup Recipe

I feel that starting fresh can always be an option, but I love the formal feeling of a new year and how we can start anew with a clean slate. My friend Tina reminded me of the concept of Tabula Rasa, which is Latin for clean slate. At the beginning of the New Year it is a time for people to make a fresh start. It is an opportunity to start over without prejudice. Or as my favorite definition puts it, you can be like someone with "a young mind not yet affected by experience".


I enjoy change, I like to try new things, and to be open minded. I bring this attitude to many things including my cooking. In any given week I have several plans to tackle new recipes that I have never tried. This week, I set my sights on tortilla soup. Yum! I adapted a recipe to make it vegetarian. I use organic ingredients wherever possible. This recipe is also vegan if you remove the cheese and sour cream. I would say this feeds four adults 1 cup of soup, it makes about a liter. My husband and I each ate a large bowl and our 3 1/2 year old ate a cup sized bowl.

Tiffany's Tortilla Soup
5 small tomatoes
1 small white onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro (can use parsley)
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Stone-ground thin style corn tortilla chips
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado diced
1 cup sour cream

1) Put tomatoes in a pan boiling water for two minutes, until skins crack. Remove the tomato skins by peeling off. Put in food processor and blend with onion and garlic.

2) Heat oil in a 2 liter saucepan. Add the tomato mixture. Cook until it changes color and tastes cooked. My soup was more orange than red but this was because of the original color of the tomatoes.

3) Add the broth and heat until it starts to boil. Simmer and add chili powder, salt, & pepper.

4) Pour into deep bowls. Place a handful of chips on top of the soup then garnish with cheese, sour cream, and avocado. Serve immediately.

Now I can check that one of the list. And make it again...