'The Gluten-Free Cookbook'
Whether it be due to dietary restrictions or intolerances, gluten-free foods, meals, and diets are becoming increasingly more common. While many strive to find alternatives to our favorite foods that are full of gluten, chef and author Cristian Broglia has decided to look at recipes from around the world that are naturally gluten-free. In the new Gluten-Free Cookbook, Broglia presents 350 such recipes from over eighty countries. Broglia joins us to chat the new cookbook and how to incorporate naturally gluten-free recipes into your cooking routine.
Tortilla Soup (Mexico)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Sunflower oil, for frying
1/4 lb (110 g) corn tortillas,
store-bought or homemade
(page 148), cut into strips
1/2 inch (1.25 cm) wide
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 serrano peppers, seeded
and finely chopped, plus more
for garnish
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 3/4 lb (800 g) tomatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
cilantro (coriander) leaves,
plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
epazote or wild fennel
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
6 cups (48 fl oz/1.4 liters)
chicken stock
2 avocados, cubed
9 oz (250 g) soft goat cheese
4 tablespoons Mexican crema
or sour cream (optional)
Sopa azteca—a Mexican soup also popular in the American Southwest—is a chili-tomato broth with strips of fried tortilla, chunks of avocado, and soft fresh cheese. The soup often has cooked chicken added to it. Making fresh tortilla strips is ideal, but to save time you can use high-quality tortilla chips.
Pour 3 inches (7.5 cm) sunflower oil into a large Dutch oven (casserole) and heat over medium heat to 325 F (160 C) on a deep-fry thermometer or until the oil makes bubbles around a test strip of tortilla.
Working in batches, add the tortilla strips to the hot oil and fry, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and serranos and cook until the onion is translucent, 3–4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), epazote or wild fennel, and oregano and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Add the stock, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes more. Divide the tortilla strips among shallow bowls and pour the soup over them. Top with avocado cubes and little quenelles of cheese (or place small amounts with a teaspoon). If desired, add 1 tablespoon crema to each bowl. Garnish with a little more cilantro and serrano pepper.
Adapted/Reprinted from The Gluten-Free Cookbook by Cristian Broglia. © 2022 Phaidon Press
