A Fiesta of Mexican Soups- 4 recipes to wet your whistle

Think of Mexican food and soup is not the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe its tacos or burritos, but in my entire time spent in Mexico I never saw one burrito. But we did not come for Taco Bell, right? In Mexico, Soup or Sopas is a part of almost every lunch or dinner. So, considering how many delicious Mexican soup recipes there are, it could never be last on the list.

Here are four great recipes, of some of those delicious concoctions.

- Fabada Asturiana

Fabada is a soup imported to Mexico centuries ago by the Spaniards from the Asturia mountain section of Spain. It has since conquered many lips.

Ingredients:
1 lb large white Fava beans
4 small chorizos
1/4 lb pancetta
1/4 lb jamón serrano
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp paprika

Soak the beans overnight. The next day, put the chorizos, pancetta and jamón serrano in a pan and spread the beans over the meat. Then cover the mixture with water. Bring the result slowly to a boil and let it simmer for about an hour. Check it occasionally to make sure the water hasn’t boiled away and exposed the ingredients. Then, sprinkle the garlic and paprika over the stew and cook for another hour.

- Gazpacho

Making a traditional gazpacho takes only a few minutes of preparation and the ingredient list is pure simplicity.

Ingredients:
4-14 1/2 oz cans of Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1 bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped green chiles

Just chop the cucumber and bell pepper then mix up the ingredients. Refrigerate the mixture overnight. And voila, easy!

- Sopa de Huevo

The Chinese aren’t the only ones who can produce an outstanding egg soup. This one has many of the same ingredients, but makes for a delightful variation.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
6 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp parsley, chopped
A pinch of chile powder

Bring the chicken broth to a slow boil. While you’re waiting, whip the eggs together with the flour using a whisk. Add the egg-flour mixture. Simmer for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the eggs don’t clump. Top with a little parsley and sprinkle chile powder on top. Spicy.

- Sopa de Ostiones

Many parts of Mexico are near the sea and fishing is an ancient and honorable profession in this land.

Ingredients:
4 dozen oysters
1 tomato
1/2 cup of white wine
2 carrots
2 potatoes
1 garlic clove, chopped

Chop up the potatoes and carrots into medium-sized chunks. Bake the tomato for about 15 minutes at 350F/177C, then peal off the outer layers. Then fry it in oil for a few minutes and slice it up. Add the vegetables to about 6 cups of water and heat. Add the oysters, then pour in the wine. Add the garlic and cook for another ten minutes. Seafood doesn’t get any better than this.
These delicious samples of Mexican sopas are easy to make and will delight palates of any nationality. They can be served as an appetizer or  the main meal for lunch or dinner. But whenever they’re tried, they’ll make for happy palates.

If any of these recipes caught your taste buds, then I highly recommend you check  out:

The Best of Mexico: A Cookbook

If you have a Mexican recipe that you would like to share. Feel free to email it to me and I will post it up for all to try. Until then enjoy!