Matthew Broderick’s Cozy Tortilla Soup Recipe Is Golden

Matthew Broderick may be known for his iconic turn as Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but his skills as a cook have flown a bit more under the radar. And if you’re curious what the actor likes to whip up in his kitchen, you’ll be glad to know he shared a cozy, delicious tortilla soup recipe in the Newman’s Own Cookbook back in the 1990s.

Now that fall is underway and there’s a crispness in the air, it’s time to shift into soup mode. And with a smoky, cozy recipe like Broderick’s in your pocket, you won’t have any trouble warming up.Inspired by traditional tortilla soup, the actor’s recipe also includes his own favorite twists—plus plenty of spices that you can tweak to a level that’s comfortable for you.

Broderick begins the recipe by blackening three large, very ripe tomatoes with some vegetable oil in a hot cast-iron skillet placed under the broiler. He says to keep the pan about four inches from the heat and turn the tomatoes until they’re charred all over. Alternatively, you can skewer them and forgo the oil. Let the tomatoes cool down, then core and halve them. Set them aside.

Next, heat olive oil in a stock pot over high heat. Add cloves of garlic and a chopped medium yellow onion. Cover and reduce the heat down to low. Soften the garlic and onion for three minutes, then add a seeded and ripped small jalapeno pepper along with a 24-ounce can of chopped, peeled tomatoes.

Add back in the blackened tomatoes along with spices—Broderick opts for cumin, chili powder and garlic powder to taste. Depending on your preference regarding cilantro, add up to a cup of chopped cilantro with two bay leaves. Pour in six cups of chicken stock. Add water until all the ingredients are covered by five inches of liquid. Bring the pot up to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, it’s time to put the tortillas in the tortilla soup. Blacken four corn tortillas over an open grill or in a very hot, unoiled cast-iron skillet. Once cool, break up the tortillas, add them to the soup and let the soup continue simmering for 15 minutes. Then remove the bay leaves and discard them. 

Here’s an unusual trip from Broderick: he recommends blending the soup at this stage for a creamier base. Typically, you might add the tortillas after blending the tomato and chicken stock base or forgo the blending stage completely for a chunkier soup. But blending at this stage will add that tortilla flavor to every bite, so we’re up for the change of pace.

Broderick says, to finish, thin the soup to the desired consistency with chicken stock and then add salt and pepper to taste. He suggests serving the soup with tortilla chips, avocado and sour cream. 

Many people include chicken cut into small chunks or shredded in their tortilla soup recipe, which gives it more texture and a lot more protein. You can also toss in a can of black beans for vegetarian protein and texture. You can make the whole thing vegetarian by using vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock in the original recipe, but double check that your corn tortillas don’t include animal fat. 

There are plenty more ingredients you could use to add your own twist to this recipe. For instance, make the heat milder with poblano in place of or the jalapenos. Some fresh or frozen corn could help stretch this recipe for a crown, and you can tweak the spice mixture to rely on what you have in your cabinet. Other spices that might work well in the soup include cayenne pepper, coriander, smoked paprika and oregano. 

You can top the soup as Broderick did, or use crema or cheese in place of sour cream, include scallions or squeeze a lime on top at the end. No matter how you dish it up, this simple soup with a kick is bound to keep you warm through the chilly months.