Every month I get the Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook and I usually glance in there at all the pretty pics, tear out a few “maybe” recipes and then toss the book on my counter. Honestly a lot of recipe books carry foods or spices I don’t regularly keep on hand so unless I plan something specifically, they become useless.

But the other day I got the September issue and decided to try out a recipe, with my own alterations of course, because I had everything in the house for it and it sounded easy. I was absolutely 100% pleased with the outcome, so I am passing on for a quick and easy meal, for just you or for a whole family!

Salsa Soup

• Original Recipe from Martha Stewart

1) Preheat oven to 400 and place 1  corn tortilla, cut into thin strips, on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden about 8 minutes

2) Meanwhile, combine 2 cups salsa and 1 3/4 cups chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a blender and add 2 tbls heavy cream and blend until smooth, seasoning with course salt and ground pepper. Top with cheese, fresh cilantro and avocado.

My Altered Salsa Soup Recipe

• The recipe I made and shown in my picture

1) Preheat oven to 400 and place 1  corn tortilla, cut into strips, on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden about 8 minutes. I dont do little tiny ones because I enjoy dipping them and eating it.

2) Meanwhile, add 1 jar Old El Paso Thick and Chunky Medium salsa (16 oz) and 1 can of chicken broth (14 oz) in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

3) Because I wanted something more hearty, I cooked up about a half a pound of hamburger meat and once cooked properly, put directly into the soup.

4) Stir in about 1 tbls of sour cream..now I believe the other recipe used a blender because creamy milk based in a hot liquid can curdle. I just whisked in with no issues. I also added a splash of milk and a small spoonful of butter, salt, pepper, and cilantro right in the saucepan.  Re-brought back to a boil, kept stirring, and then changed to low to simmer till I was ready to eat.

5) Once I put in bowl to serve, I added cheese and sour cream to taste and the crunchy tortilla strips I had made.

Because the salsa already had the perfect blend of spices, the soup was on par with an exact Mexican meal with little to no work. The entire process took maybe 15 minutes, with frying up the meat taking the longest, and I had enough for 2 bowls.

~Trisha