Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup is so delicious and there are so many healthful ingredients in this one. Try with a dollop of vegan sour cream.

Servings 6-8

Difficulty level: moderate

Ingredients:

For soup:

2 tsp olive or avocado oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 (15 oz.) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or regular), preferably low salt
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (reduce or increase for spice level)
1 tsp ground cumin
8 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans (preferably low salt), drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
8 sprigs of fresh cilantro
2 sprigs fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

Instructions:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 3 teaspoons oil and diced onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft and slightly browned.
Place canned tomatoes with juice, chipotle peppers, garlic cloves and cumin in a blender and blend until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan and heat to evaporate some of the liquid and until slightly darkened in color, about 10 minutes.
Stir in broth, rinsed beans, cilantro and oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). (If using tortilla chips, you can skip this step.) Spray a baking sheet with a light coating of oil and arrange tortilla strips in a single layer, spray a light coating of oil over and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Off heat, remove cilantro and oregano sprigs. Adjust soup flavor as needed, adding salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place tortilla strips or chips in serving bowls, top with soup, and garnish with desired toppings such as avocado, cilantro, lime wedges (all optional) and more tortilla strips. Store cooled leftover soup in the refrigerator or in the freezer.