Cleaning out the freezer usually leads to soup! (Vegan or Vegetarian Tortilla Soup)

I have WAY too much homemade stock in my freezer and a bag of fridge trash (as I call my veggie scraps) and a chicken carcass hanging out in there too itching to become more stock.  I also have been eating a lot of beef on the weekends so I needed to slow my carnivorous roll.  What is the cure for these problems?  Vegan tortilla soup!  Well, vegan if you don't top it with cheese and sour cream like me!

The chipotle pepper in here really makes it hearty and deepens the flavor.  With all the toppings, it definitely becomes a hearty lunch.  I did not make my own tortilla strips as I had some in the pantry already, but next time I will definitely make my own!  I ended up eating this all week and not getting sick of it, I was even sad when it ran out!  

Make this, you will not regret it.  You can add pre-cooked chicken to make it chicken tortilla soup as well.  Soup weather will hopefully be over before we know it, although I am always in the mood for a bowl of soup! Full recipe to follow the montage.

The store bought strips add a lot of color, but not a lot of flavor.

The cast without the garnish.

There is quite a bit of chopping with this recipe, put on a podcast.

Get a good little coating of the spices!

Add the tomatoes

And then add in all liquids and let it simmer until it is soup time!

So yummy, and full of veggie goodness!

Vegan Tortilla Soup (Adapted from the ever trusty New York Times)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini chopped into half rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, with liquid reserved
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

With not so vegan toppings:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Kosher salt
1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
¾ cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup chopped cilantro
green onion slices
Lime wedges

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, zucchini and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes (remember to drain and save liquid) Let sit for two minutes and then use a wooden spoon to break them up . Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor. Add vegetable broth, corn and tomato liquid. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 425. Toss tortilla strips and oil and then bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, shaking pan to try and toss strips halfway through.   Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.

Happy Cooking!

Missy