I posted a version of this recipe once before, but I’ve tweaked it a little to make it faster, easier and slightly better. It’s basically my riff on Qdoba’s Mexican gumbo, which I love, but which has made me terribly ill the last few times I’ve eaten it. Could be a coincidence, but I think it’s more likely that I’ve developed an allergy/sensitivity/whatever to some ingredient they’re using. Anyway, here’s my version. As always, adjust the spices to suit your taste.
Mexican Gumbo
For the soup part:
1 cube vegetable bouillon
2 c. water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chopped green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely with scissors
2 tbsp. lime juice
Throw everything in the Crock-Pot, turn it on low and ignore it until you’re ready to use it. (If you’re cooking at the last minute, you can also make your soup on the stove or in the microwave.)
For the rice part:
Make a batch of plain white rice. Add a handful of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro when you add the rice. I like to make mine in an automatic rice cooker, because I’m lazy.
For the beans:
Can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. salsa
Chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Throw everything in a small saucepan and cook gently until heated through.
For garnish:
Fresh avocado slices or guacamole (I kept mine simple and just mashed up the avocado with a little chili and cumin, a sprinkling of chile-lime salt, and a squirt or two of lime juice)
Tortilla chips if desired
Salsa if desired
To assemble, put a big scoop of rice, a big scoop of beans and a big scoop of tortilla soup in each bowl and top with avocado, guacamole, tortilla chips, salsa or all of the above. Makes about three big servings.
