The other night I must have been craving Mexican food. I made Deconstructed Taco Dip Bites as an appetizer, fajitas for dinner, and this tortilla soup for the week. The only thing missing was a margarita!!
You don’t find too many Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipes at restaurants which I am always a little bummed about. Not that I can blame the restaurants because let’s be honest, I’m sure they sell wayyy more with the chicken than without. Back when I was eating meat, I used to order Tortilla Soup all the time! Initially I was drawn to this recipe due to its simplicity. There aren’t any chunks of peppers or vegetables which I liked. After a few add-ins I gave it a try and it did not disappoint. The broth is so flavorful!! I really enjoy the addition of black beans and corn but this soup would be just as good without them.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!!
- 6-8 corn tortillas, cut in half and then into matchstick-thin strips
- a big splash of extra virgin olive oil
- fine grain sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1/2 – 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 – 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne or other spicy red chili powder
- 1 -14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 – 14 oz can black beans
- 1 – 12oz pkg frozen corn
- 6 cups vegetable broth or water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently toss the tortilla strips with a generous helping of EVOO and salt. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. In a big pot over medium-high heat, cook garlic and onions with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes. Cook down for about 5 minutes or so, it should start to thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat, add 1 cup of the broth and 1/2 cup black beans and puree with hand blender. Add the remaining 5 cups of broth and puree until smooth.
4. Return pot to low heat, add remaining black beans and corn. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until everything is heated through.
5. Serve with tortilla strips and any additional toppings you choose (cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, lime etc).
Notes:
- The last thing you want to do it make this soup too spicy. Start out with the lower seasoning measurements and add more heat as desired.
