Epicure's Tortilla Soup

I love making homemade soup, and for the most part I find it pretty simple to whip up a batch whenever I feel like it. So I was a little leary when Epicure launched a new Tortilla Soup Mix for the 2011 catalogue. As far as I'm concerned, the key to a great soup is that it tastes homemade, which is rarely the case when you dump in a packet of seasoning and mix it with water and tomatoes. This Tortilla Soup Mix is delicious, though, and it is so simple to make it's almost embarrassing to write down the recipe!

EPICURE'S TORTILLA SOUP
1 package Tortilla Soup Mix
1 can (14 oz./398 ml) crushed tomatoes - Please note, the package says 19 oz./398ml - this is a typo, it should 14 oz./398 ml)
5 c. water

Mix ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with garnishes of tortilla chips, diced avocado, grated cheese, fresh lime juice, and/or sour cream (I forgot the sour cream in the picture!)


This was perfect - I wouldn't change a thing! And check out the list of ingredients: dried black beans, dried corn, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, spices, salt, garlic, green onion. How often do you find a soup mix at the store that has 6 "real" ingredients listed before salt? Usually it's MSG, a bunch of words from a chemistry textbook, salt, and then the real ingredients. My kids loved this soup, and I felt good about serving them something healthy. I hope Epicure will start selling larger jars of this stuff, but in the meantime I'll stock up on the little packages!