Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Today I am sharing a recipe from my friend Heidi who is truly an award winning cook.

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Ingredients:

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

20 small yellow or red cherry tomatoes

another splash of extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne or other spicy red chili powder

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

6 cups vegetable broth (or water)

a few sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

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Directions: Gently toss the tortilla strips with a glug of olive oil and salt.

Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake in a 350F degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Set aside. Halve (or quarter) the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan, oven proof dish, or rimmed baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if you use smaller cherry tomatoes), or until the tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. The tomatoes keep nicely in a jar for days (refrigerated), so you can do this part in advance if you like. Set aside. Now for the soup itself - in a big pot over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions in a splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for just a minute or so. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes. Cook down for about five minutes or so, it should thicken a bit. Remove from heat, add one cup of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender). Add the remaining 5 cups of broth and puree until smooth. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve the individual bowls topped with plenty of tortilla strips, the roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled goat cheese. Alternately, as I mention up above, you can finish with sliced avocado, cilantro, white onions, and a squeeze of lime. If you like a creamier soup base add a splash of half and half, or stir in some extra goat cheese. Makes about 6 servings.