Creamy Tortilla Soup

Creamy Tortilla Soup From Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy Home-Cooked Meals in 30 Minutes or Less

serves 4

This silky rich soup is creamy with a refreshing note of lime. Choose from mild, medium, or hot salsa to determine the heat intensity of the soup.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the tortillas
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups tomato salsa
4 cups vegetable broth (page 15 -- recipe included below)
2 ripe Hass avocados
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 corn tortillas

Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup of the salsa and the broth and simmer for 5
minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Halve and pit one of the avocados and place it in a blender or food processor. Add the
soup mixture and process until smooth. Transfer back to the pot, add the lime juice and parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat while you
toast the tortillas.

Lightly brush the tortillas with oil and cut them into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide by 2 inches long. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the tortilla strips and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Just before serving, halve, pit, and dice the remaining avocado and stir half of it into the soup. To serve, garnish the soup with the remaining diced avocado, remaining ½ cup salsa, and the tortilla strips.

quicker fix

Garnish with corn chips (whole or crumbled) instead of the tortilla strips.

Vegetable Broth

makes about 8 cups

This basic vegetable broth can be cooled and frozen in several containers so you can defrost exactly what you need for a recipe. As in all recipes, be sure to scrub and wash all vegetables well before using.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 potatoes, quartered
3 celery ribs, including leaves, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
12 cups water
2 tablespoons tamari
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the water, tamari, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour to reduce the liquid and bring out the flavors of the vegetables.

Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot, pressing the juices out of the vegetables with the back of a large spoon. The broth is now ready to use. For a stronger broth, bring the broth back to a boil, and reduce the volume by one-quarter. Tightly covered, this broth keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and, portioned, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

note: Commercial vegetable broth is available in cans and aseptic cartons. The strength and flavor of the broth varies greatly by brand, so be sure to find one you like. In addition to these full-strength broths, you can buy vegetable bouillon cubes and powdered vegetable base that can be turned into a broth with the addition of boiling water. It is important to note that because of the wide range of saltiness of the different broths, including homemade ones, many of the recipes in this book call for salt to be added “to taste” so that you can use more or less depending on the saltiness of the broth used.

Here’s an easy guide to “quick-fix” vegetable broth:
• Canned vegetable broth
• Vegetable broth in aseptic cartons
• Vegetable bouillon cubes
• Powdered vegetable base

As with any packaged food, check the ingredients for additives, and buy the healthiest one. When using broths, taste them for strength, since some have a stronger flavor than others that may encroach on the flavor of your finished dish. For a milder broth, dilute the canned broth with water, by half. For example, if a recipe calls for 4 cups of broth, you can use one can of broth (approximately 2 cups) plus 2 cups of water. This is also more economical.