Tortilla Soup

Vegan or Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Back story: a few years back I went to a church function where they served the most wonderful tortilla soup. I have been on a quest to find a recipe that sounded like what I tasted that night.  Finally I found it! Of course it was once we were trying to eat less meat and both the recipe I had and the one I found had shredded chicken in it and used chicken stock as a base.  So a few tweaks later – here is my Vegan Tortilla Soup, but I added cheese and sour cream … so it’s turned into a vegetarian meal instead. Use vegan shredded cheese or maybe some nutritional yeast on top, and vegan sour cream (do they even make that?) and its back to being vegan again!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• A few flakes of dried red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion (I just used a whole Onion)
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper (I used half a bell pepper)
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper (I used half a bell pepper)
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Green Chilies
• 1 can diced tomatos
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Veggie Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• _____
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine.

Pour in Tomatoes, Chilies, veggie stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered stirring occasionally.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! The garnishes really make the soup delicious.