Pacific Tortilla Soup

Remember a bit earlier I mentioned being chosen to complete a taste test for Pacific organic Tortilla soup starter. Well when my packaged arrived I quickly opened the box, thumbed through the recipes provided and ran to the store for fresh ingredients. I chose to make the classic tortilla soup because my group and I had not previously used any of Pacific's products. 

I also decided to keep the soup vegetarian, although the soup base is not only organic and vegetarian, it is also vegan. I went ahead and made my own chips, but you may want to use pre-packaged.

Recipe:
6-8 servings

ingredients:
2 cartons of Pacific Soup Starters Tortilla Soup Base
1 carton of Pacific Re fried Black Beans
1 cup corn
1-2 Table spoons of chopped fresh cilantro
6 corn tortillas cut into strips
juice from 1 lime
Optional toppings:
Sour cream, shredded Monterrey cheese, avocado

Start by placing base in large stock pot, add carton on beans. Stir well and then bring to a simmer, beans will thicken the soup, but Pacific has done a great job with the base consistency. Add corn and cilantro, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. While soup simmers, fry up tortillas in about 1/4 cup of oil. Allow to crisp, then  drain off excess oil. Ladle up some soup and top with crispy tortillas and other toppings. I used optional toppings listed above. Buen Provecho! 

So, what did the group and myself think??
Well, as the chef I couldn't believe how amazingly quick and easy it was to make. Minimal ingredients needed to create an appetizing soup. How about the taste? We all had the same response; its like a taco in a soup. It had a little heat to it, but not overwhelming, and the corn tortillas gave a hint of sweetness. I made the soup for a lunch, but it would be great as a starter for dinner or as a dinner with cooked chicken added if you don't mind non-vegetarian. It makes a great soup for a cold day!

Pacific Natural Foods has a great variety of Soup starters from French Onion to Tom Yum, besides their broths, stocks, sauces, and purees. I also love that they are a family owned company who believe in respecting people, animals, and our planet. http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-story/roots.aspx

Disclosure: These are my own opinions of Pacific Natural Foods Tortilla Soup Starter and Re fried Black Beans. I was not asked to write this review nor was I compensated for it.