Spicy Vegetable Soup with Corn Tortillas
February 25, 2015
There’s nothing quite like seasonal vegetables in a savory broth…and this soup has a zippy hit of spice to get your attention and keep your circulation stimulated and your ticker…ticking. Oooohhhh….and crispy corn tortillas on the side to keep it all interesting.
Makes 4-5 servings
Ingredient List:
- extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- sea salt
- 1 jalapeno pepper, split lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 yellow summer squash, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 4-6 fresh plum tomatoes, diced, do not peel or seed
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 4 cups spring or filtered water
- avocado or sunflower oil
- 4-6 soft corn tortillas
- 3-4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves removed, finely shredded, for garnish
Step By Step Instructions:
Place a small amount of oil, garlic and onion in a soup pot and turn heat to medium. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in jalapeno slices and carrot, another pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Add yellow squash and zucchini, another pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Finally, stir in tomatoes and chickpeas. Add water, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt; simmer 3-5 minutes more.
When the soup is nearly ready, place about 1/2-inch avocado or sunflower oil in a deep skillet, over medium heat. Slice the tortillas into wedges–8 per tortilla. When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper and repeat until all tortilla pieces are used. Sprinkle lightly with salt…or not, if you want to make these salt-free.
To serve, stir basil into soup and ladle into individual bowls. You may top the soup with a handful of tortilla chips or serve them on the side.
Cook’s Tip: You may substitute organic corn chips if you don’t have the time to fry your own.
Cook’s Tip: Once the soup is cooked, you can puree it into a coarse bisque like in the photo for another variation.