Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
/
A bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, topped with shredded cheese, cilantro, and a crispy tortilla stripS. The soup is a deep red color, and filled with tender chunks of tomatoes, corn, and beans.
As February is National Canned Food Month, what better way to celebrate than with a delicious and environmentally friendly recipe - like this Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup? It’s delicious, easy, and environmentally friendly because steel food cans are used to package its ingredients.
One thing that I love about purchasing foods in steel cans is that the cans are infinitely recyclable, with no downgrading of material, which means they can be recycled over and over again. In fact, steel food cans have the highest recycling rate of any food packaging, with a recycling rate of 58%. One super fascinating factoid that I recently learned is that 75% of all steel ever produced is still in use today. That’s pretty incredible.
A bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup sits on a table next to several steel cans. The soup is a deep red color and filled with tender chunks of tomatoes, corn, and beans.
But that's not all steel food cans are good for. They also help fight food waste by keeping food fresh longer, so you can use them whenever you want without any waste or special care required. In fact, steel food cans prevent 2.2 billion pounds of food waste every year.
When it comes to this Tortilla Soup recipe, using steel food cans for the corn, beans, tomatoes, broth, and chipotle chiles in adobo ensures that they'll stay fresh and flavorful until you're ready to use them. Plus, once you're done with the cans, you can recycle them, knowing that they’ll continue to be useful as the steel can be used again and again.
A bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup filled with hearty and nutritious black beans. The beans are soft and creamy, providing a great source of protein and fiber to the dish.
So why not give this recipe a try today? It's easy to make, delicious, and good for the planet! And if you want to learn more about the benefits of steel food cans, head over to cannedgood.org!
A close-up of the rich and flavorful broth in the vegetarian tortilla soup. The broth is made with a combination of vegetable broth and chipotle chiles, giving it a smoky and spicy flavor.
Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Recipe
Time: 40 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 finely serrano peppers, finely chopped and seeded
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-2 tsp ground chili powder
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 (14.5-ounce) cans vegetable broth or stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5-ounce) cans whole corn kernels, drained and rinsed
Canola oil for frying
8 (5-inch) white corn tortillas, cut into 2 ½-inch x ¼-inch strips
Kosher salt
To Finish
Avocado, cut into ½-inch pieces
Sour cream
Crumbled cremoso queso fresco or feta cheese
Finely chopped red onion
Serrano peppers, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
Radishes, sliced into thin rounds
Finely chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, serrano peppers, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, and cook while stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground chili powder and stir to mix well and toast the spices. Add the canned chipotle peppers and stir, followed by the canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
Pour the canned vegetable broth, black beans, corn, and two cups of water into the pot. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm up about 1 inch of canola oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 375℉. Divide the tortilla strips into four batches, and fry one batch at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer the tortilla strips to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Divide the soup into bowls and top with sliced avocado, sour cream, queso fresco, red onion, serranos, radishes, and cilantro. Top with fried tortilla strips and serve with lime wedges on the side.
If you loved this recipe, you will also enjoy my recipes for Chipotle-Spiced Bean Tacos, Ropa Vieja, and Chipotle Chicken Tacos!
