I was trying to figure out what to do with 3 lbs. of beef shoulder and a can of corn that didn’t involve the oven — a soup maybe, one that would pair well with parathas, an Indian flatbread that would serve a similar purpose to tortillas.

There’s this chic restaurant in Uptown Houston called Blanco Tacos + Tequila, where I had my first bowl of chicken tortilla soup and it tasted like a party in my mouth. 

This soup is bursting with flavor from a combination of ingredients that come together to create a Latin-flavor that is hearty and wild. If your pantry is well stocked, the ingredients should be easy to gather or substitute. 

This recipe typically calls for canned tomatoes, shredded cheese and other ingredients that might make it a high sodium meal. I was cautious to leave out the canned tomatoes and cheese to make it guilt-free while staying true to the flavor. 

The soup base requires crushed tomatoes and I used an easy technique I learned from all the years I spent watching my mum cook. She’d boil whole Roma tomatoes until the skin started to tear off, remove the skin and crush the tomatoes before making a sauce with them. You could also peel the skin off then give the tomatoes a few pulses in a blender. 

If you don’t want to bother with pre-cooking black beans and sweet corn, you can get the canned version. Drain and rinse both out before adding them to the soup. 

This might be a soup but it has the capacity of a full meal. Between the beef pieces, corn and beans, a cup serving will leave you feeling very satisfied.

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

• 2-3 lbs. beef shoulder roast cut into small bite-size pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 10 ripe Roma tomatoes
• 1 sweet onion chopped
• 3 large cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 ½ cups (or 1 can – drained) sweet yellow corn
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp. cilantro chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ tbsp. sriracha sauce or hot sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp. Better Than Bouillon® Roasted Beef Base mixed with 2 cups of water (or 2 cups of broth)
• 1 lime
• 2 corn or flour tortillas (I used 2 parathas)

*Don’t forget to wash all your fresh produce

How to Make Beef Tortilla soup

1. Place the Roma tomatoes in a large pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. While the tomatoes heat up, chop up the onions, garlic, cilantro and beef.
3. Heat up olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions soften.
4. Add the beef and allow it to brown, then add salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, sriracha sauce and soy sauce. Add the corn and beans (don’t forget to drain and rinse them if you got them canned). Stir and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5. Take the Roma tomatoes out of the water, the skin should peel off easily and lightly. Chop up the peeled tomatoes into chunky pieces and place them in a bowl, then crush them some more with a fork. Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir.
6. In a separate bowl, add the Better than Bouillon® Roasted Beef Base then add 2 cups of water using a little at a time to evenly mix the base. Pour the mixture into the pot and stir. 
7. Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer at medium to low heat for 20 minutes. 
8. Prepare the tortillas or parathas as desired. I Like to heat mine up over a flat pan, cut them in half and fold them into triangular shapes that I can dip into the soup.
9. Slice 1 lime into half on the long end. Save one half and slice the other into small wedges. Chop up a few stalks of cilantro and use both lime and cilantro as a garnish. 
10. Spoon soup into bowls and top with lime wedges, and tortillas or parathas on the side. 

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