Aztec Soup

This is a strange looking but very tasty soup. The original version also contains fried tortillas but it doesn't work very well with the ones you can get in the UK. You should be able to be able to get Pasilla chillis from large supermarkets or specialist shops. The chillis give the soup an excellent flavour and are not very spicy and do not need to be eaten.

1 litre stock
4 tomatoes
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp coriander/parsley
sunflower oil

To serve:
cream (to taste)
cheese (to taste)
2 ripe avocados
2 dried pasilla chillis

Make a few cuts on the skin with a sharp knife then plunge the tomatoes whole into boiling water. After a few minutes their skins should start to become loose. Drain the tomatoes, remove the skin and chop finely. Cut the chilis into large pieces and rehydrate in warm water - I find they are easier to cut with scissors than with a knife. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in the oil until they start to go brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add the stock, herbs and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins. Then liquidize the soup - it should be quite thin. Once the soup has been liquidized, return it to the pan and add the chopped and soaked chillis along with any liquid. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the cheese and avocado into small cubes and place into bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls and top with a small amount of cream.