Recipe taken from The New Vegan by Aine Carlin, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Nassima Rothacker.
Tortilla Soup
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- olive oil, for frying, plus 1 tablespoon for the tortilla
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 red chile, seeded and sliced
- 1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 14-ounce can plum tomatoes
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels
- 7-ounce canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- fresh cilantro leaves and lime juice, to serve
Directions
- Heat a little oil in a large saucepan. Add the red onion, fennel, and celery to the pan. Season, cover, and sweat gently until they begin to soften before adding the garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the red bell pepper, zucchini, and chile. Season, cover, and sweat gently until soft.
- Sprinkle in the spices, season, cover, and let them infuse for a few minutes before pouring in the plum tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes to soften before breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Season generously and add 6 cups water. Add the sweet corn, kidney beans, and tomato paste and bring to a very gentle simmer for about 20 minutes— be sure not to let the soup boil.
- While the soup is warming, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the tortilla into small strips, toss in 1 tablespoon oil, lay out on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden, turning once.
- Divide the soup between four bowls and adorn each with the crunchy tortilla strips, some diced avocado, a smattering of cilantro, and some fresh lime juice.