Zucchini Cilantro Soup with Chile and Mint

Ingredients 

• The soup:

  • 1 poblano or 2 anaheim chiles

  • 1 bunch cilantro, about 2 cups total

  • 1 large or 2 small white spring onions (or 1 medium-sized cured white or yellow onion), peeled and chopped

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil

  • 12-14 ounces zucchini (3-4 medium), trimmed and chopped into roughly 1/2" pieces

  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint

  • 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • about 3 cups water (or mild chicken or vegetable stock)

  • juice of 1-2 limes

  The crispy tortilla strips (totopos):

  • 2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips (approx. 1/4" wide by 2" long)

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

  • pinch salt

  • sour cream or crème fraîche, for serving

Instructions

Make the soup:

• Roast the chiles over an open flame until the skins are mostly blackened. (I set mine on my stove's burner over a medium-low flame, and turn them occasionally with tongs.) Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel, seed, and chop the chiles.

• Separate the stems from the cilantro leaves and reserve both. Chop the stems and place them with the chiles and zucchini. Reserve the leaves in a separate bowl.

• Warm the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or soup pot. Add the onion and saute until slightly translucent, 5 minutes. Add the chile, cilantro stems, zucchini, parsley, mint and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is fairly soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the tortilla and enough water or stock to come up to the level of the vegetables. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup, partially covered, until the zucchini is very soft, about 15 minutes.

• Let the soup cool slightly. Reserve a few pretty sprigs of cilantro for garnish, and add the rest to the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup completely smooth. (Alternately, puree the soup in a blender in two batches.) Add the lime juice to taste, and more salt if needed. If the soup is thick, thin it with a bit more water or stock; if the soup is too thin, you can add more tortilla, simmer for 5 minutes to soften, and puree again.

Make the totopos:

• Heat the remaining oil in a heavy (such as cast iron), medium skillet set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the tortilla strips, and saute, flipping and stirring frequently with a metal spatula, until the tortillas are golden and crisp, reducing the heat if needed. Season with a pinch of salt.

• Serve the soup warm, garnished with a dollop of cream, a handful of tortilla strips, and leaf or two of cilantro and mint.