Roasted Potato Tomatillo Pureed Soup with Cilantro Pesto

Omg, this soup is insane! It’s an awesome soup just as it is, but if you take the time to make the cilantro pesto, chili oil and roasted poblano, you will be in soup heaven!

The last few days have been a lot of fun because I had the privilege to hang out with our goddaughter Sabastian. She is moving from Arizona to Oregon to live with a friend and stopped by on her way for a few days. She is always a pleasure to have around. We had a nice lunch in Los Gatos, went for a couple of walks on the beach, made yummy food and cruised around the farmers market while she grazed on all the samples.

While at the farmers market I picked up everything I needed to make this soup as well as the cilantro pesto, chili oil and poblano chilis.

The chili oil is so great for adding a little heat to soups, salads, stir frys, etc… I usually make the tomatillo salsa, pesto, chili oil and roast the poblano the day before I plan to make the soup.

I love this soup with a dry crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay or a nice Spanish white. It is also great with a Pinot Noir or a Tempranillo.

Recipe: 10 – 12 servings

Roasted Potatoes

6 Yukon Gold Potatoes ( about 2 lb)
2 Tablespoon Thai Chili Olive Oil – or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Dry White Wine
2 Clove Garlic – minced
1- 2 Jalapeno – sliced

Roasted Tomatillo Mandarin Salsa (this is a half batch of the original recipe. You can make a whole batch and use the other half for these chili renellos.)

6 – 7 Tomatillos – 3/4 lb.
1/4 White Onion
1 Serrano Chili Peppers
1/2 Cup Cilantro
1 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Mandarin (Satsuma) Juice – fresh squeezed
1/4 Teaspoon Mandarin Zest (optional)
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

The rest

8 oz or 2 1/4 Cups Jack Cheese – shredded
1/2 Onion – 1 1/4 Cup – Diced
2 Tablespoons Chili Oil or Regular Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Cup Milk (I used 1%)
6 Cups Filtered Water
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt – or to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Garnish (make ahead)

Cilantro Asiago Pesto (You can make the whole pesto recipe to use in other dishes like this ” Black Lentil Roasted Purple Potatoes Salad with Cilantro Pesto Vinaigrette“
Roasted Poblano
Chili Oil
Blue Corn Chips

Instructions:

Tomatillo Salsa

Peel the paper skin off of the tomatillos, cut the cores out and cut in half, then spread them out on a baking sheet cut side down.

Turn on the broiler and broil tomatillos for 6 – 7 minutes then flip over for another 3 – 4 minutes or until very soft and slightly burnt.

Add the onion to a pot of water and bring to a boil, then remove, let cool and put in a food processor.

When tomatillos are finished cooking, let coo and add to food processor.

Cut the stems off the serrano then de-seed and add to the food processor along with the cilantro, garlic, lime, and salt. Puree.

Potatoes

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Put the potatoes into a 9 by 14 Pyrex baking dish and add the oil, garlic and salt. Mix together to coat all the potatoes evenly.

Cover with foil and place into the oven on the middle rack for 45 minutes. Turn the oven to broil, take the foil off and place the potatoes on the top rack and broil for 7- 10 minutes or until they start to brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them. Remove from oven and let cool.

The rest

Shred the cheese and set aside.

Dice the onion and add to a 5 1/2 quart soup pot along with the oil and saute on medium-low heat until onions are soft and translucent. Add the wine and reduce to a syrup. Add the tomatillo salsa, milk, lime juice, salt and pepper.

In a food processor add half the potatoes and about 2 cups of the water and puree then add to the soup. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and 2 more cups of water. Then add the final 2 cups of water to the soup (total of 6 cups of water). Stir and cook until hot, then slowly add the cheese and cook until the cheese is completely melted.

Serve it with diced roasted poblano, drizzled with chili oil, sprinkled with blue corn chips and topped with a dollop of cilantro pesto.

Health benefits:

Yellow Potatoes – Yukon gold’s content of potassium is higher than many foods and can help reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. They have twice the amount of vitamin C as a Russet, which helps protects your cells from free-radical damage. Yukon’s are rich in B6 and antioxidant properties. It has a bit of Iron but the C helps the body absorb it. They contain fiber that helps reduces cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, helps prevent constipation and aids in weight loss.

Tomatillos have been found to have anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties from the Ixocarpalactone-A, a phyto-chemical. They contain niacin, which helps convert food into energy. They are a rich source of vitamin C and flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants, vitamin K that increases bone mass, potassium that helps electrolyte regulation, nerve function, muscle control, and blood pressure, folate that supports red blood cell formation and fiber. They are without sugars, low in salt and cholesterol-free.