Tortilla Soup Recipe

Tortilla soup topped with fresh avocado, cilantro and cotija cheese

I know it’s still summer, but I figured this could pass as a summer-style soup. I tried to squeeze in as much flavor as possible, using a mixture of two different chili powders with a dash of heat, and an array of toppings to make this soup attractive, as well as tasty. This soup is great because it can please crowds of all kinds: vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free folks - anybody who can handle a little spice. If you’re going the vegan, vegetarian route, simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. You get your protein from kidney beans, but I’m willing to bet diced or shredded chicken (if you’re going the meat-eater route) would be amazingly good, too. To mix up the spices, I used two different chili powders - a New Mexico chili powder and a chipotle chili powder. I just love how the chipotle chili powder brings a little bit of smokiness to this soup. Top it all off with refreshingly cool cilantro and avocado, cotija cheese and homemade tortilla strips and you’re good to go.

Lightly pan fry corn tortilla strips with olive oil over a medium heat. Then sprinkle over soup right before serving.

Ingredients

~For vegans and vegetarians, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth

• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups canned tomatoes,  pureed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups  kidney beans, canned (you can cook your own, this is just quicker)
• 1 cup sweet corn, canned, frozen, fresh, they all work
• salt to taste

Toppings

• Fresh corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips and lightly pan fried with olive oil until crispy
• cotija cheese
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh tomato, seeded and diced

Directions

Bring the broth, pureed tomatoes, and spices to a boil. Add diced onions, beans, and corn. Boil on a medium heat for 30 minutes. Serve with all the toppings:  diced tomatoes, green onion, cotija cheese, avocado, cilantro, and last but not least, homemade tortilla strips. Note, this soup tastes best with a generous helping of tortilla strips.

Related: Healthy Recipes, Latin American Recipes, Mexican Recipes, Soup Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes