Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup. I mean, in general I’m not a big soup person, but of soups- this one is definitely up there. Most restaurants make chicken or meat tortilla soups, but I decided to try to make a vegetarian one at home. Theres something about the crispy tortilla pieces in the hot soup that really is comforting.

Anyway, last week I was really sick. I had a sore throat, a fever, the works. Usually this means that I would crawl to my parents house in agony wanting homemade rasam (oh wait, I did that too- thanks Appa!), but in the meanwhile, I decided that making a few quick soups was the way to go. This soup is vegetarian, but could easily be made vegan by just leaving off the cheese topping. It’s warm and has a little spice, just enough to make your throat feel much better!

Ingredients:

2 tortillas (flour or corn are fine!)
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 15 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes (fire roasted are okay too!)
1 chopped bell pepper
2 diced tomatoes
1 medium onion diced
1-2 dried chilies (any color)
1 jalapeño (I was out, so I used a green chili)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
2 C water or vegetable stock
1 t. salt (+ extra per your taste)
Cooking spray & 1 T olive oil
2 t. cumin
2 t. smoked paprika
juice of half a lemon
Avocado, extra cilantro, and queso fresco for topping!

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Slice tortilla and arrange on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp. I would slice slightly thinner than I did in the pictures below. When baked, lightly salt.

3. In a deep pot or dutch oven, sauté garlic and onions until translucent.

4. Add in bell pepper, tomato, jalapeño, dried chili, and all spices.

5. Stir in canned tomato and water to coat the sides of the pot and add in all spices. Cook for 5 minutes and then add in beans.

6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add in cilantro, and lemon juice, and stir thoroughly.

7. Serve hot in a bowl topped with queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, and of course, the tortilla strips! Enjoy!