Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] SC Mexican Tomato Soup with Capellini, Avocado and Chicharron

* Exported from MasterCook *
SC Mexican Tomato Soup with Capellini, Avocado and Chicharron - Sopa de Fideos
Recipe By     :
Serving Size : 5     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Fowl/Poultry
Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4                     whole Roma tomatoes
3               cups water
8             ounces canned diced tomatoes -- in juice
1 1/2    Tablespoons vegetable oil
6             ounces dried fideos -- or angel hair pasta
     1/2                white onion -- diced
1                     garlic clove -- minced
4               cups chicken broth -- (Caldo de Pollo)
1                cup finely diced cooked meat -- (about 6 ounces)
                        To serve: -- diced Hass avocado, crumbled chicharron (fried pork skin croutons), New Mexican or puya chiles, toasted & crumbed

Combine the Roma tomatoes and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer
over medium-high and simmer the tomatoes until softened, about 5 minutes.
Drain, reserving the cooking water, and place the tomatoes in a blender
along with the canned tomatoes and their juice; don't blend yet.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Break
the fideos up into 1-inch pieces and fry slowly, stirring often, until
golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and drain on a
paper towel.
Wipe out the pan and add the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon of oil. Saute the
onion and garlic over medium heat stirring often, until soft and golden.
Add the onions and garlic to the tomatoes in the blender and puree until
very smooth. (For a smoother texture, you can press the puree through a
fine-mesh sieve or food mill, if you like.)
Pour the puree back into the hot skillet and fry over medium heat,
stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. (If the sauce
splatters, reduce the heat.)
Add the puree to the slow cooker along with the broth and reserved tomato
cooking liquid. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then add the fideos,
reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, until the pasta is soft, about
1 hour more. Just before serving, stir in the cooked meat. Serve the soup
hot with the avocado, chicharron, and chiles on the side.
Serves 4 to 6

VARIATIONS:
To Make Sopa Seca: use half the amount of water and caldo. It will be
thick, like a soupy pasta. Top with crumbled queso fresco or cotija
cheese.

To Make Sopa de Tortilla: do not use fideos. Instead, cut 4 corn tortillas
into small squares, fry in vegetable oil until crisp, and divide among the
serving bowls. To serve, pour the hot tomato broth over and top each bowl
with crumbled queso fresco and a few pieces of diced avocado.

AuthorNote: For many, sopa de fideos is the comforting taste of home. It
is served everywhere, every day, in tiny loncherias, tony men's clubs, and
tractional restaurants as well as at mama's kitchen table. I had this
version at the venerable Fonda el Refugio in Mexico City's Zona Rosa,
where a crew of formidable female cooks (los mayoras) rule the kitchen.
This slow cooker recipe takes only a couple of hours from start to finish.
It is made with coils of toasted fideos, which are similar to capellini,
also called angel hair pasta. For the meat, use shredded bits from Caldo
de Res, Shredded Beef, or any other leftover meat.

Cuisine:
"Mexican"
Source:
"Mexican Slow Cooker by Deborah Schneider, 2012"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Nov 2012"
                                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 318 Calories; 12g Fat (35.0%
calories from fat); 17g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 27mg
Cholesterol; 807mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean
Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 4779 0 0 0 901322 0 0 0 2796 0