Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Vegan Tortilla Soup

by

Close your eyes if you hate hearing about the weather because this girl is about to go full-blown weather status on you.

It seems as if I need to write Mother Nature another friendly note.

Dear Mother Nature,

Hey. It’s me, your favorite person. I have another weather question for you:

WHAT IS THE DEAL???  People are going to think I am crazy because I am making soup every week of summer!

Thanks.

Love, Cara

This area I live in is a strange one. Summer is about 2 months behind here. It usually isn’t until August when it begins to really warm up. By September, it is super hot, not to mention wildfire season begins. So you would imagine my surprise that the windchill as of late is freezing up my boogers. It has been COLD. Like, December-is-here cold (which for most of you is actually cold but for me and where I live, it’s about 60 degrees cold. Brrrrrr!!! Break out the long johns!)

So you can only guess what dinner was last night? SOUP!  **cheers and applause** Ladies and gentlemen, hold your applause–I am a person just like you. But not just any soup, a bowl of smoky, spicy tortilla soup (not actually spicy, Brooke–just spice-full) 🙂

Vegan Tortilla Soup - Fork & Beans

Tortilla Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 c. vegetable broth
  • 2 cans beans (I used black and pinto beans)
  • 2 small zucchinis, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can spicy tomatoes
  • 1 Tb tomato paste
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 c. cilantro
  • red bell pepper, tortilla chips and avocado to garnish
DIRECTIONS
  1. Saute onion and garlic in a medium pot on medium heat with 2 Tbs oil until translucent (no more than 5 minutes)
  2. Add all the spices and stir until it is combined in pot. Add zucchini and stir as well until spices are covering. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the beans, tomato sauce, paste and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and simmer uncovered 15 minutes.
  4. Add the juice of 1 lime and cilantro. Mix into soup. Turn off heat and serve immediately.
  5. Garnish with red pepper, avocado and tortilla chips.

About Cara

Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Viv

    What are the “Cockles of the Heart”?
    Humm….Interesting!!!
    An inspirational story or nostalgic movie is often said to “warm the cockles of your heart”, but where exactly are the cockles of your heart located? Not surprisingly, the answer will not be a test question on any medical school exam. The cockles of your heart are more metaphorical than physical, although the phrase can be traced back to 15th century medical beliefs. Unfortunately, the etymological path gets a tad murky after that.

    Under one popular theory, the phrase “cockles of your heart” is derived from the Latin description for the heart’s chambers, cochleae cordis. It is believed that the word ‘cockles’ is a corrupted version of cochleae, most likely entering the popular vernacular as a form of slang. The prevailing medical opinion of that day and time was that the ventricles of the human heart resembled the concentric shells of small mollusks or snails, also known as cochleae or cockles. This theory concerning the origin of “cockles of your heart” does address the connection between the physical and emotional role of the heart, but the shell analogy appears to be more accurate with the structure of the human ear. The Latin cochlea is still used to describe the ear, not the cardium, or heart.

  4. Viv

    It was raining yesterday here on and off in Mission Viejo…Was it raining where you are?
    I walked outside right now and it smells like rain. So I don’t know if it rained last night or
    if it will rain now…I just woke up about an hour ago…
    Do I have Cockles? LOL!!! Or is that just a guy thing? LOLLLL!!!!!

  5. Viv

    Oh…Yummy!!! This soup looks Great!!! This will warm the cockles (sp?) of my Heart!!
    Yes!!! It is Cold and Driving me Crazy!!!
    Went to an 11 year old Birthday Party and froze my A$$ off!!!
    The Wind and the Rain Was Insane!!!

    • Cara

      hahaha. You said cockles. That’s funny 🙂 And I am immature… I heard that there was rain last night!!! Must have missed my area but REALLY???