Sopa Tarasca
Tarascan bean and tomato soup.
Ingredients
Cubes of Muenster cheese
3 chilies Pasilla, fried and crumbled
3 1/2 to 4 cups refritos with broth
2 medium tomatoes, broiled or 1 1/4 cups canned tomatoes
1 clove garlic peeled
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
3 tablespoon lard or pork drippings
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken or pork broth
Thick Sour Cream
Tortilla strips fried crisp
Instructions
Cook the pasilla chilies in a dry frying pan until browned and crisp. Cool and crumble and set aside.
Blend the beans, together with their broth, to a smooth puree. Set aside.
Blend the tomatoes, garlic, and onion together to a smooth sauce.
Melt the fat and cook the tomato mixture over a high flame for about 5 minutes, then stir the bean puree into the tomato mixture gradually, and let it cook over a medium flame for about 8 minutes, stirring it all the time.
Add the broth and let the soup cook for another 10 minutes over a low flame. Add salt as necessary.
Put a few pieces of the cheese into each bowl. Pour the hot soup over the cheese and garnish with the chilies, some tortilla strips, and a dollop of sour cream.
It freezes well.
Diana Kennedy