Lazy Veggie Tortilla Soup

So lazy in fact that I don't even have a picture for you. All though there is still some soup left so I suppose it's not too late.

It's great being back at work but I am definitely not used to the schedule anymore. Amazing how quickly that can happen. Gathering coherent thoughts for this post is harder than it possibly should be. Work is going well though, it's good people which is the most important thing for me at this point. I'm tired but it's obviously more than worth it.

Now maybe one of these days I'll get a job I like AND it will last more than three weeks! What a concept!

After a day at work, the last thing I normally want to do is commit to hours in the kitchen. Tuesday night is not a good night for a homemade dinner. Last night was not just any normal Tuesday though. It was J's birthday (happy birthday again!!!) and we were having a few people over for a Vegan Taco Night.

In addition to the tacos, I decided I wanted to make a Tortilla Soup. It just sounded like a really delicious way to add something to the dinner. The soup itself is super easy. And the tortilla part is in theory super easy as well. This isn't just Veggie Tortilla Soup though, it's LAZY Veggie Tortilla Soup. As in, I made the soup and then was lazy. I didn't make any tortilla strips. I definitely went with the crumbling baked tortilla chips into the soup... The soup itself also takes less than an hour, prep time and all. Another plus when you've got a dinner for 8 people to prepare for.

If you decide to not be lazy, you can very easily accomplish the last step. Grab your tortillas, spray a skillet with some olive oil spray, cut the tortilla into strips, fry them up, and there you go. You can of course actually heat a pot of oil and deep fry them if you want the less healthy option. Apparently this works better with slightly older, dry tortillas.

I didn't do any of that. If you don't want to either, baked tortilla chips work surprisingly well. All you have to do is take a handful of chips, pile them onto a baking sheet, and pop them in the oven until they're nice and toasty. You don't need the oven to be all that hot, around 200 should do you well. Stick them in for the last 15 minutes of soup cooking and you should be set for when it's done.

On to the soup!

This recipe is completely vegan since it was for J's birthday. If you are a cheese person, you can also add some shredded cheese for garnish. I was really happy with how this turned out. Only thing I would possibly recommend is adding a little more water, mine was a little thicker than I really wanted it to be.

Vegan Tortilla Soup

1/2 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
2 Tbsp olive oil

3 sticks celery, chopped

1 12 oz can tomato paste
4 cups veggie broth

1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup corn
2 cups water

Cumin
Cayenne Pepper

small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and basil. Saute until the onion is soft. Add the celery and saute another minute or so, keeping an eye to not burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and veggie broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Once you reach a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the tomato and corn. Add the water and let simmer for five minutes or so. Add your cumin and cayenne pepper to taste. I start with maybe a tsp of each and go from there. At this point, add more water as needed to get your desired consistency.

Let simmer for at least another five minutes. The longer you let it sit, the more the flavors will integrate. The last thing you want to do is add the cilantro and lime, around five minutes before you're ready to serve. Stir in the cilantro and squeeze the lime into the soup. I used one but I think I could have actually added a little more.

If you actually manage the tortilla strips or if you went the lazy way with the chips, add them as you serve. One way to go is to add some strips to the bottom of the bowl, pour in your soup, and then garnish with some more strips. You can also garnish with avocado. It's all delicious!

The soup is also amazing served cold the next day, something perfect for these hot LA days. Made for a great lunch today at the office!