Vegan Tortilla Soup

Recipe Yield: 8 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large and dried ancho chiles, toasted, with seeds taken out, and chopped
• 15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes, not drained
• 2 tbsp, plus 2 more tbsp of canola or olive oil, separated
• 1 medium-sized onion, peeled and sliced 1/4 inches thick
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 cups of vegan vegetable broth
• 4 cups of water
• 14 oz. of firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 tbsp. of salt
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 cups of vegan tortilla chips, snapped into pieces
• 3/4 cup of Mexican vegan cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make a puree of the chilies and diced tomatoes in a blender. Set them aside afterwards.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven.
3. In the Dutch oven, add the onions and garlic. Cook them nicely, stirring frequently for about 5 to 10 minutes or until they turn golden.
4. After the garlic and onions have turned golden, you can take them out, keeping the Dutch oven heated at medium heat.
5. Add the freshly cooked garlic and onions to the puree in the blender.
6. Power up the blender again and mix the ingredients until it is clear and smooth looking.
7. After you blended the new ingredients in the puree well, you can add the puree to the Dutch oven on the stovetop you have been heating in the meantime.
8. Following the addition of the puree to the Dutch oven, stir frequently for about 5 minutes or when it looks like the consistency of tomato paste.
9. Now it is time to add the vegetable broth and water to the Dutch oven.
10. Bring the mixture to a boil. You can follow by letting down the temperature to a simmer.
11. Heat the saved 2 tbsp. of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
12. Add the tofu to the pan with the oil, and cook the tofu until it begins to brown or about 6-8 minutes.
13. Dump the tofu in the Dutch oven and simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, the pot uncovered.
14. After simmering for 30 minutes, add the spinach and salt and keep in the Dutch oven until the spinach wilts.
15. After pouring the soup into bowls for serving, top the soup with the avocado, tortilla chips, and vegan cheese.