I have not made tortilla soup often, probably only once before. What a shame because it is so good, especially with the Mexican blend of Bellalicious spice (Bellalicious.com).
When I had the flu over the holidays I craved tortilla soup. A friend brought over some homemade chicken broth, which I was also craving. When I had the energy I threw it together and had enough to last a few days. OMG, it was delicious.
There are many ways to make Tortilla Soup, with or without chicken, and you can use veggie broth instead of chicken if you want to go vegan. With the addition of Bellalicious spices, the ingredients stewed together made this soup so hearty and fulfilling. You will notice I did not put any tortillas on top. They were not around and I did not have the energy to make my own. Plus, most of us don’t want to eat fried foods anymore, so you can easily leave them out. Do as you like.
If you do not have Bellalicious spices yet, you can leave spices out and/or add some cumin and chili powder if you like. Otherwise it is very flavorful without extra spice. That being said, I tasted it both ways, and of course, the Bellalicious Mexican blend made it all the better, and it was so simple.
Here is the basic recipe I followed:
Dice:
2 tbsp garlic
1 onion
2 jalepenos
Saute them together in olive oil or ghee until tender.
Add:
1 - 14 ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 - 14 ounce can of black beans (rinsed)
(You can add corn or other canned beans or chicken if desired)
1/2 cup or more of chopped cilantro
Spices & S&P to taste (I used 2 tsp of the Bellalicious spice blend)
Stir together and then add about 5 to 6 cups of broth of choice.
Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes on medium heat until flavors have come together. Add S&P as needed.
Serve and top with more cilantro, avocado, and grated cheese of choice (I used Cheddar, but Monterrey Jack is also excellent). Squeeze fresh lime on top and enjoy.
If you want to include the tortilla strips, you can cut corn tortillas in strips and fry them in coconut or olive oil until crispy. Or, you can use packaged chips of choice.
Enjoy!!
Making Every Bite Count, Chef Teton