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Great Start-over Tortilla Soup

Leftover Ropa Vieja makes great start-over tortilla soup

When you live in Miami in February, houseguests are a given. I'm always on the prowl for meals that draw on the local culture but are easy and quick – perfect for the cook who spent the day playing tour guide.

This Beefy Tortilla Soup is a twist on Chicken Tortilla Soup, and it started as an interpretation of Ropa Vieja, a dish that's famous in South Florida's best Cuban restaurants.

Granted, you will have to make the Ropa Vieja ahead of time in a slow cooker, but then it's a two-for-one bonus. The delicious leftovers make an amazing soup in just 12 minutes.

My houseguests loved it, but it's so easy and delicious you don't have to wait for company.

Serve Beefy Tortilla Soup with sliced fresh fruit, crusty rolls and Key lime pie.

Beefy Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 servings

• 5 cups La Nueva Ropa Vieja (3 cups broth and 2 cups meat-vegetable mixture), defrosted if frozen (see accompanying recipe)
  
  
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes seasoned with onions and garlic (see note)
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
• 1 1/2 cups frozen yellow corn kernels
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons crushed baked tortilla chips, or more to taste
• Optional toppings: shredded Mexican-blend cheese or cheddar, reduced-fat sour cream, avocado chunks

Bring the broth, shredded beef with its vegetables, water, tomatoes with their juices and the beans with juices to a boil over medium-high heat in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir frequently.

Add the corn (no need to thaw, but rinse away any ice crystals), lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion and garlic powders, and black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer at a slow boil, stirring frequently, until the soup has heated through and the flavors blend, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare any optional toppings.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the chips and any other desired toppings and serve at once.

Note: Any type of seasoned, diced tomatoes that contains garlic can be used.

Start to finish: 12 minutes

Per serving: 272 calories (23 percent from fat), 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 26 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 8 g dietary fiber, 989 mg sodium.

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