SOUP DU JOUR

Steps:

• 1. The day before you make the soup, put the COTC in a large zip lock baggie. Add the hot tomato sauce. Leave this in the refrigerator overnight.
• 2. The next day caramelize the onions in a frying pan with the 2 tablespoons butter and sugar, when they are almost done add the garlic. Continue to sauté for a minute longer. Add to the soup pot. I just love the smell of onions and garlic sautéing, makes the kitchen smell like Lidia Bastianich is here cooking with me LOL.
• 3. In the same frying pan add the oil and 1 tablespoon butter add the beef sausage and pork and cook till they are slightly browned. As the sausage cooks break it up like you would for a meat sauce then add to the soup pot. This you want to do on a medium/high heat, your only browning the meat, as it will continue to cook in the soup. Put the meat in a strainer over a bowl or other heat safe container and strain the grease out DO NOT DISCARD THIS I put it in a container and refrigerator, great for adding flavor to eggs or potatoes. Add the meat to the soup pot.
• 4. Carefully pull the corn out of the baggie and put it in the soup pot and then add the tomato sauce.
• 5. Add the canned tomatoes, white beans and the lime, Serrano pepper and simmer this for about 3 hours covered. You'll want to do this low and slow.
• 6. When the soup has finished cooking remove the 2 pieces of lime and the 2 Serrano's and discard them, or let everyone take their chances with finding the peppers... { I'M JUST KIDDING GEESH } then remove the corn to a serving platter add the Mexican chocolate to the pot and stir for about 1 minute, then add the fresh spinach to the soup and stir. Cook till you see all the spinach has wilted.
• 7. Serve with the toppings and sides.
• 8. Cut the tortilla's into strips, lay them out willy~nilly and spray with some Pam and sprinkle with fine sea salt. Bake 275 till they dry out and are crisp.