Consider Replacing Tomato Soup With This Flavor-Packed Traditional Mexican Upgrade

Tomato soup is a classic side dish for a reason: It's mild and versatile enough to complement a wide range of recipes. However, this supporting actor often stays on the sidelines. To introduce a bolder character to your dinnertime rotation, try swapping regular tomato soup for tomatillo soup. The vibrant, colorful ingredient will give each bowlful some major flavor and a Mexican flair.

For the unacquainted, tomatillos are small green fruits native to Mexico. While they bear a striking resemblance to green tomatoes, tomatillos are a distinctly different type of produce and are notably firmer, more acidic, and covered in an exterior layer of papery husk. On the palate, they arrive sweet-tart, bright, fruity, and earthy — the secret to a next-level bowl of soup (sorry, tomatoes). Not unlike traditional Mexican pozole verde, or our tomatillo and white bean chili recipe, tomatillo soup makes a vivacious, green-hued, crowd pleaser on the dinner table.

Peak tomatillo season arrives in late summer to early fall. During this time, fresh tomatillos can commonly be found at farmers markets and in the produce section at local grocery stores. This makes tomatillo soup a perfect transitional dish as the last days of summer cool down into autumn. To transform tomatillos into a zesty soup, start by building dimensionality with a base of sauteed onions and garlic in the bottom of a stockpot. Then, add your tomatillos (de-husked and quartered) to the fragrant aromatics and continue sauteeing. From there, simply add in a generous amount of vegetable broth to the pot, as well as any desired spices and seasonings, and gently simmer.

Tomatillos have a naturally lower water content than tomatoes, so unless you prefer a thicker, denser soup, add a bit more liquid than you normally might when making tomato soup. Also, be sure to keep the husks intact on fresh tomatillos until you're ready to cook with them. It'll help retain their quality during storage. 

Once the tomatillos have softened, you can transfer the simmered mixture to a food processor and blend it into a puree as you normally might for tomato soup. To build a more complex, dimensional flavor, you could also add a handful of shredded fresh cilantro into the food processor. Otherwise, saute some diced jalapeño pepper alongside your onions and garlic for a kick of heat and even more green vegetal flavor. For a heartier soup, you could also add corn and shredded chicken or pork to the blended mixture.

To serve, garnish each bowl of tomatillo soup with fresh cilantro, creamy avocado slices, and crunchy tortilla strips. The interplay of toppings will instantly create a texturally dynamic mouthfeel alongside the luscious soup. Tomatillo soup would make an ideal (if unexpected) accompaniment to a grilled cheese sandwich. It could also be served as a light, bright side dish alongside heavier entrees, such as slow-cooker adobo pork roast or roasted veggie enchiladas for a warming and balanced meal. In an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers will keep for up to three days.