Tortilla Meatball Soup

Perfect for Arizona's Rainy Winter Weather, so hearty and spicy, and unusual enough to not seem like "everyday" food.

Yield: Serves 6

Recipe Time: Hands-on: 43 Minutes
Total: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes

If you can't find fresh corn on the cob, substitute 2 cups frozen corn kernels, and broil them with peppers. After making this Tortilla Meatball Soup, you can use a few leftover chipotle chiles to spice up a pot of beans, rice, stews, or canola mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeño peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 ears corn on the cob
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
• tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes
• cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
• 3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.

3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside.

4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).

5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories 380
• Fat 16.3 g
• Satfat 6.5 g
• Monofat 6.1 g
• Polyfat 1 g
• Protein 25 g
• Carbohydrate 33.1 g
• Fiber 4.7 g
• Cholesterol 98 mg
• Iron 3 mg
• Sodium 631 mg
• Calcium 159 mg