Southwestern Vegetable Soup

Serves 6

Not plain chicken soup, but chile soup is the comfort food that Southwesterners turn to when they’re not feeling up to par. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their heat, is a proven germ-killer. For a vegetarian meal, use vegetable stock and eliminate the cheese.

2 large ripe tomatoes, halved horizontally
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups diced white onions (2 large)
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup amber beer, such as Dos Equis
5 long green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 cups peeled and diced Idaho potato (1 large)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Achiote Paste
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup crumbled tangy white cheese, such as cotija or queso fresco

Preheat a broiler. Arrange the tomato halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Broil until the skins are charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes to a nonreactive saucepan, add the stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large bowl, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula to extract all the juices.

In a large nonreactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beer, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Add the strained stock, roasted chiles, potato, lime juice, achiote paste, and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

Achiote Paste

Makes about 1 cup

Use this variation of a traditional Yucatan spice paste on grilled meats or stir it into a stew as a delicious seasoning. Amber achiote (or annoto) seeds are a key ingredient for the golden hue they impart and their subtle flavor. Roasted ancho chiles add an intriguing chocolate-apricot scent as well as some heat. Commercial achiote paste is sold in Latino markets, but it is powdery and needs a liquid or fat added to it to release its earthy, slightly spicy taste. Achiote seeds are available in Latino or specialty markets or by mail order.

3 ancho chiles
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
1 teaspoon achiote (annoto) seeds
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ teaspoon salt

* The paste keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Toast the ancho chiles in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until oil is released and they smell toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly, stem, seed, and tear into strips. Place the strips in a blender with the remaining ingredients; puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, allowing the flavors to blend.