Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

One of my goals for 2012 is to photograph my cooking more and share it on the blog. I think I already told you that. Oh well, in case you didn't pay attention the last time. 


So, today I have my second attempt at soup in my entire liftetime. My first was chicken + rice soup. Well, I decided to try my hand at making Tortilla Soup and had found this recipe on pinterest. The recipe is by Laura Flowers and you can find her blog here. 


Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
(I didn't have this spice so I just omitted it. It still rocked!)
2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons light colored oil (I wasn't sure what this meant so I used canola oil)
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 ounce) can diced mild green chiles, drained
2 (10 ounce) cans RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Lime & Cilantro (my store didn't have these I just found some similar diced tomatoes)

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (32 ounce) containers Swanson Organic Vegetable Broth (I used chicken for more flavor, but that would void the whole vegetarian thing if you care. Its also what I had on hand)

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1/2 a lime

1. In a small bowl mix together cumin, sweet paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, coriander, salt and black pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large pot heat the oil over medium high. Add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the spices and garlic; cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the green chile peppers, RoTel, corn and vegetable broth. Cook until warmed through. Add the black beans and cook for 2 minutes before serving. Squeeze in lime juice. Serve in bowls and garnish as desired.

Garnish Ideas

Tortilla chips

Shredded Cheddar, Mexican blend or Cotija cheese
Diced Avocado

Chopped cilantro

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.


* If you don't mind skipping the vegetarian part (I like it because there are more vegetables, but I add back in the meat) I also bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded the breasts and added that in to entice the hubby too. I think it helped. There are only a few things I've made that are vegetarian that he approves of, oh maybe just one (I haven't made too many) Black Bean + Feta Tacos, which I made this past week. He actually really loves them. He said he woke up the next morning thinking about them. I'll share that one soon! You can find it on my pinterest page too!


Here's my lame attempt at photographing my culinary skill with my iPhone. Oh and the fact that I forgot to photograph until the end (and actually the finished product in the bowl isn't from the original go, I was too hungry to fuss with details and a photo. I made an entire pot for well, me. Ryan IS NOT a soup fan at all. However, I begged him to at least try it so he did, and with his permission, he "thought it was tasty". That's pretty good for him. I even got G to eat it for dinner too so it must be good. I froze the rest of it (sans leftovers for a couple lunches) and then thawed it out today and had some for lunch. It was just as good 2 weeks later!

Doing its thing on the stove "warming"... This soup is so easy and seriously SO DELICIOUS!

This soup is all about the garnishing! Avocado, chips, sour cream, cheddar cheese, fresh lime juice, and cilantro!

Oh, and in case you aren't familiar with these chips, Juanita's Tortilla Chips are the MOST AMAZING tortilla chips out there and they are cheap too! Seriously guys, this is no joking matter. Try them and you won't ever buy another chip out there. They also happen to be manufactured in Oregon. Take that!


Here's a link to Laura's original post with the recipe. She offers a printable link too! I'll be checking out her cooking some more, you should too! You can find the recipe and link on pinterest too, click here.