Tortilla Soup with Avocado, Corn and Asiago

This delicious vegetarian soup comes from a cookbook called "Rebar"* that I bought because of a recommendation by my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law. The recipes in this cookbook are fresh, vibrant, and hearty. Although the recipes included are predominantly meat-free, you would be "hard-pressed to notice that anything is missing!" Everything I've tried so far has lived up to this statement. These recipes usually have an extensive ingredient list and do require a bit more work, but the outcome is phenomenal and full of healthy goodness. This will be a long entry, because I actually made the vegetable stock from scratch. In hindsight, I would probably sacrifice this step next time in the name of practicality, of both time and money. I think a good vegetable stock from the grocery store would be perfectly acceptable. The soup has so much flavour of its own, you would not lose much from a pre-made stock. I also considered making this a chicken tortilla soup in the future, in which case I would probably use chicken stock.

Now, on to the recipe!


Basic Vegetable Stock
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
2 leeks, greens only
1 garlic bulb
4 carrots
4 celery sticks (I included the leaves too)
1 or 2 apples
4 bay leaves
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp coarse salt
few sprigs fresh thyme, parsley, and/or sage (I used all 3)
20 c. water

Directions:
Peel and roughly chop onions, leeks, carrots and celery. Separate the garlic bulb and smash the cloves with the flat of the your knife. Quarter the apple(s).
Heat oil in a large stock pot and add onions, leeks, carrots, celery, salt and bay leaves. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add all the remaining ingredients, including water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain and cool if not using immediately. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
8 c. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
1 Tbsp salt
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp minced oregano (I bought fresh, but it didn't 'mince' very well, so I chopped it... will use dried next time)
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
chipotle peppers in sauce, pureed to make 2 tsp
4 corn tortillas, yellow or blue
2 avocados, diced or sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, stemmed
asiago cheese, shaved with a potato peeler
1 lime, cut into thin wedges (I juiced the lime and sprinkled juice on over top of avocados of garnish)

Directions:
Heat the stock in a smaller pot and keep it warm on the back burner while preparing the soup. In a heavy-bottomed large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tsp salt and saute until translucent. Stir in the garlic, oregano, half the minced jalapenos and another 1 tsp salt; saute for 5 minutes.
Pour the hot stock into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Int he final 5 minutes, stir in the corn, red peppers, the remaining salt, liquid smoke, and chipotle puree. Simmer until the corn is tender. Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the tortilla strips, slice each tortilla in to long strips 1/4" thick. Toss gently with a light coating of oil, a pinch of salt and chili powder (optional). Spread the strips out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until crisp (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool until ready to serve.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and divide the diced avocado, cilantro leaves and asiago shavings among the servings. Arrange 8 tortilla strips in a teepee in the center of each bowl. Serve immediately with a bowl of lime wedges on the side. (I guess to squeeze into the soup, hence I did it ahead of time and just added it.)

* Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz, 2001.