Vegetable Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 14.5 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with liquid
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 3 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade (page 68), plus more as needed
- 1 small red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed, or 11/2 cups home-cooked beans
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned
- 1 medium zucchini roughly chopped
- fine sea salt to taste
For Topping (optional)
- queso fresco or feta cheese
- diced avocado spiced tortilla strips (page 133) or store-bought tortilla chips/strips
- 1 lime quartered
- fresh cilantro chopped
- sour cream or Mexican crema
Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the onion and garlic to a high-powered blender, along with the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, and 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Using the same pot (no need to wash it), heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper and poblano pepper and sauté just until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, and oregano and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the blended tomato mixture, the black beans, corn, zucchini, and the remaining 1 cup vegetable broth. If you’d like a thinner broth, add another cup of vegetable broth. Season with salt.
- Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the zucchini has softened and the flavors meld, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Give it a taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with any or all of the toppings.
Notes
1. Freeze any of the remaining chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a small freezer-safe storage bag or container and use them in other recipes.
2. Freestyle It – Substitutions for the canned fireroasted tomatoes: 3 medium Roma tomatoes, charred Substitutions for the chipotle pepper in adobo: 1 to 2 dried chiles—such as ancho, morita, or guajillo—toasted, stemmed, seeded, and rehydrated.
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