Last week, Jay Leno told Bill Maher that he hates soup because “it cheats you out of a meal!” Well, although I respect Mr. Leno for his wealth of knowledge on cars and comedy I don’t think he knows squash about good soup. Soup is like the whole meal is partying in one bowl! And what could be better than that? Especially, when the party is spicy, savory, healthy and filling…like tortilla soup!

TORTILLA SOUP

adapted from Oh She Glows Vegan Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped or 2 cups chard or kale stemmed and cut chiffonade-style
• 2 ears fresh corn or 1.5 cups frozen corn (no need to thaw)
• 1 small sweet potato or yam, cooked and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained (optional)
• 1 small jalapeño diced and seeded (optional)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (or beans of choice)

Garnish with:

• Fresh lime juice
• Chopped avocado
• Cilantro
• Tortilla strips:
  • 2-3 medium-sized corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • Mix ingredients in a large bowl until strips are evenly coated. Bake in 400 degree F oven for 7-9 min until golden brown. Be careful not to burn.

Directions:

1. In a large pot over med-low heat, add olive oil and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop the peppers, zucchini or greens, sweet potato, green onion, and remove corn from cob (if using fresh corn). Add the veggies and minced garlic into the pot and sauté over med-low heat for another 5-10 minutes.

3. Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, balsamic vinegar, broth, and black beans. Stir well and simmer on low-med heat for about 25-30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make tortilla strips (according to instructions above).

5. After the soup simmers, ladle into bowls, garnish with goodies and enjoy!

Happy cooking! 🙂

Coach Jentry