Todd English and Eva Longoria Open Up Beso

Ingredients

1 medium onion, medium dice
½ bunch of celery, medium dice
¼ cup garlic, chopped
1 pasilla pepper (a dried, mild chili), medium dice
1 jalepeño pepper, diced
½ cup olive oil
6 whole Roma tomatoes
6 cups hearty chicken stock
½ cup lime juice
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tortilla chips, avocado, jalepeños or sour cream to garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with half of the oil, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Spread on a baking pan and roast until light brown, 25-30 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are roasting, in a stock pot over medium heat, sauté onion, celery, peppers and garlic in remaining oil, stirring frequently until soft and translucent.
3. Add chicken stock, cayenne, chili powder, ground cumin seed, paprika and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. When tomatoes are light brown and their skins have begun to peel back, remove from oven and add to the broth.
5. Add chicken breasts, cut into strips. Simmer 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion hand blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, blend soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve piping-hot in large bowl, garnished with chopped avocado, tortilla chips, chopped jalepeños and sour cream. Other suggestions for garnish include diced red onion, chopped cilantro, salsa verde, sliced radishes and cooked, diced chicken. Adjust spices and seasonings to your taste. Enjoy!

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