Mushroom Soup With Roasted Tomatillos And Cactus(sopa De Nopalitos

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb nopales cactus pieces, paddles
• olive oil
• 1/2 lb fresh tomatillo, husked and washed (about 5 medium)
• 1/2 lb ripe tomato (about 2 medium)
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1/3 cup sliced jalapeno pepper
• 1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
• 1/4 teaspoon ground aniseed
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 9 sprigs cilantro
• 1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushroom, stems removed and thinly sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe

• 1 preheat broiler.
• 2 if nopales have thorns, carefully trim them from cactus paddles with scissors, then rub paddles with clean plastic scouring pad to get rid of the very small ones.
• 3 rinse with water and brush each side with a little olive oil.
• 4 set on a cookie sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until limp, (10 to 15 minutes).
• 5 set the cooked cactus paddles aside to cool.
• 6 when cool, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1/4-inch-wide slices.
• 7 place the tomatillos and tomatoes whole on baking sheet and broil until soft and blackened in spots, about 4 minutes.
• 8 turn and broil on other side.
• 9 set aside to cool; peel tomatoes when cool.
• 10 while the cactus is being cooked, combine the garlic, jalapenos, onion, anise seed and olive oil in large stockpot.
• 11 saute until onions are tender (not browned) and garlic is fragrant, about 6 minutes.
• 12 combine roasted vegetables in food processor with 2 cups of the vegetable stock and the cilantro.
• 13 puree until chunky smooth.
• 14 add the puree to the garlic and onion mixture with remaining stock and simmer over medium flame.
• 15 add mushrooms, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes.
• 16 add cactus pieces to soup and simmer 5 more minutes.
• 17 serve hot.