This is another of my favorite recipes. I found it a couple of years ago in an issue of Bon Appetit, and it has graced our table periodically ever since. I love the depth of flavors. I love that I get to use ingredients from my childhood…dried red chiles and Big Jims (also called Anaheim chiles). I love that I get to use my mortar and pestle to grind the toasted cumin seeds and crush the tortilla chips. I love that I get to add hominy and fresh lime juice. I love that once you get it in the pot, you just let it simmer and become beautiful. I love the flavor. It’s a great soup.

Notes: I use 2 Anaheim (Big Jim) chiles, and use my mortar and pestle to grind the cumin seeds. Any plain tortilla chip will do; I use El Milagro, but have gotten away with some crushed chalupa shells before.

Hominy, Tomato, and Chile Soup

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 large fresh Anaheim chile, stemmed, seeded, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 dreid New Mexico chile, stemmed, seeded, torn into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15- to 16-ounce) can golden hominy, drained
• 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/3 cup finely crushed tostadas caseras (tortilla chips) or corn chips
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Toast cumin seeds in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until beginning to darken in color, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Enclose in plastic bag and crush with hammer or mallet.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, Anaheim chile, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add New Mexico chile, oregano, and cumin seeds. Stir 2 minutes longer. Add broth, hominy, tomatoes with juices, and tostadas caseras. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until dried chile is very soft and flavors blend, about 45 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper, then lime juice to taste. Ladle soup into bowls.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine.