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Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:
4 servings
Total:
1 hr 15 min
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Ingredients

  1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  2. 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  3. 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  4. 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
  5. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  6. 1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
  7. 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
  8. 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed
  9. 4 cups vegetable broth
  10. 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
  11. 2 cups vegetable oil
  12. 8 small corn tortillas, cut into ¼-inch strips
  13. Kosher salt
  14. 1 avocado, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
  15. ¾ cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack
  16. ¾ cup sour cream or crema
  17. ½ cup chopped cilantro
  18. ¼ red or yellow onion, finely chopped
  19. Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.
  2. Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
  4. Place about ¾ of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.