Spiced Mexican Tomato & Corn Soup

Here’s a great warming soup to get you through those chilly winter days. If you prefer things a little less spicy, you can leave out the chillies, but leave at least one of the chipotle chillies in adobo, to add that lovely smokey Mexican flavour in the soup.

Mexican Tomato & Corn Soup

 

(Serves 6-8)

4 tbsp (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
900g ripe tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into 6 wedges
2 banana chillies (yellow paprika), halved and seeds removed
2 red paprika, halved and seeds removed
2 large red chillies, halved and seeds removed (Optional)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (Thermomix: peeled only)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
750ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
(75g) 3 chipotle chillies in adobo* (reduce to one (25g) or two (50g) chipotle chillies in adobo, if you prefer less spice)
500g fresh or frozen (defrosted) corn kernels
2 avocadoes
2 limes
½ cup coriander leaves

*Chipotle chillies in adobo are available in tins from Specialty Food shops. Freeze any unused portions for later use.

TO GRILL VEGETABLES

  1. Preheat oven to 220C.
  2. Place halved tomatoes, onion wedges, banana chillies, red paprika and red chillies into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over oil and gently toss to coat.
  3. Place all ingredients, skin-side up, onto a baking paper-lined baking tray and roast in oven for about 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Turn grill on to hot and grill for about 5 minutes until skins have blistered.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then discard blistered skins from tomatoes, chillies and paprika.

TO PREPARE SOUPTHERMOMIX METHOD

  1. Add garlic to TM bowl and chop SP5 / 5 sec
  2. Add oil and sauté: 5 min / 100C / SP1
  3. Add grilled vegetables and chipotle chillies to bowl and blend: 10 sec / SP3
  4. Add stock and cook: 20 min / 100C / SP1, without Measuring Cup (MC)
  5. Add corn and continue to cook: 8 min / VAROMA / SP1, or until corn is tender. (Place the rice steamer basket onto lid to prevent soup from sputtering, but to release steam)
  6. Insert MC and slowly bring speed up to SP6 for 5 seconds, until soup and corn are coarsely processed. Season to taste.
  7. Coarsley mash avocado in a small bowl and stir in chopped coriander and the juice from one lime. Season to taste.
  8. Serve soup in bowls, topped with avocado and a wedge of lime.

TO PREPARE SOUP – CONVENTIONAL METHOD

  1. Place oil into a saucepan and sauté garlic until aromatic.
  2. Add grilled vegetables and chipotle chillies and use a stick blender to puree until smooth.
  3. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Add corn kernels. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until corn is tender. Use stick blender to coarsely process soup, allowing some of the corn kernels to remain whole. Season to taste
  5. Coarsley mash avocado in a small bowl and stir in chopped coriander and the juice from one lime. Season to taste.
  6. Serve soup in bowls, topped with avocado and a wedge of lime.