Monday, November 15, 2010

Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup & Giveaway

I’ve been shooting food from dawn until dusk today. Never mind that dawn began about 7am and dusk hit at 3pm. When the heck did I move to Alaska? Please tell me this isn’t part of global warming.

Hello Texas people! Anyone willing to adopt me? I cook. I’m typically a happy fun person. I just can’t stand another dark cold winter. Sigh…

Soup helps. Steaming, spicy, colorful tortilla soup somehow makes life bearable when the weather is black and gloomy. It makes the day a little less dreary with steamy flavorful bites. It’s my comfort, at least until my Texas dream family adopts me.

Speaking of soup, last week was split pea soup week and my local lentil people sent me a giveaway box with a tasty secret split pea soup recipe. To sweeten the deal, I’ve added a jar of tangy beautiful Knapweed honey from the pristine Northern Idaho forest. Just tell me what your favorite winter comfort food is and these goodies might be yours.

Friday the random number generator thingy will spit out a winner. If you don’t have a blog contact, leave me an email address so I can contact you.

Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Printer Version
Holy yum Batman! This is my new go to tortilla soup recipe.


2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons light colored oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 ounce) can diced mild green chiles, drained
2 (10 ounce) cans RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Lime & Cilantro 

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (32 ounce) containers Swanson Organic Vegetable Broth

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1/2 a lime

1. In a small bowl mix together cumin, sweet paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, coriander, salt and black pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large pot heat the oil over medium high. Add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the spices and garlic; cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the green chile peppers, RoTel, corn and vegetable broth. Cook until warmed through. Add the black beans and cook for 2 minutes before serving. Squeeze in lime juice. Serve in bowls and garnish as desired.

Garnish Ideas

Tortilla chips

Shredded Cheddar, Mexican blend or Cotija cheese
Diced Avocado

Chopped cilantro

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.


70 comments:

Carla "tucky" said...

YEAH BABY...this was the one I was waiting for..that pic is stellar!
Thx for posting Laura. You do such beautiful work.

Anonymous said...

My favorite comfort food in winter is Chicken & Dumplings! My grandmother use to make them when we would visit her for the holidays in Port Arthur, Texas!

Thanks for the recipe!

Lynda
sterlingdreams925@yahoo.com

Janie said...

I live in Texas and I'd love to adopt you. Come on down anytime!!
My favorite comfort food is Creamy Pablano soup. YUMMY goodness!!

Caroline said...

Molasses ginger cookies. They make me feel warm and happy inside!

scrambledhenfruit said...

Looks so delicious! My fave comfort food in winter is potato soup. :)

Joanne said...

Its been quite dark and dreary as well. What is WITH this! Favorite winter comfort food - lasagna. hands down delicious. Although this soup looks pretty delicious as well. Gotta love that tex mex flavah.

Jennifer said...

I love tortilla soup! I'm here in Central Texas and we'll gladly adopt you!

My favorite comfort soup is Potato Soup with cheese, sour cream, bacon and chives....OH YUM!

VegeCooking Club said...

I could use a bit of vegetarian soup in my life...between ribs and Boston Butt I'm over meat!
Comfort food to me is a big pot o' hot chicken and veggie soup with Stacy's Pita Chips on a cold day. (I've had to stop buying those things....they are so addictive).

Sara said...

Ooooh, great giveaway, and the soup looks delish! My favorite comfort food in winter is potato-cheddar soup.

Nana-Nonsense said...

You may just get me back in the kitchen! I love your blog! I found you either through 33 Shades of Green or Noodlehead I'm just starting my own and I hope you'll check mine out. I hope to make it interesting too!

UrMomCooks said...

Hi - Kinda sheepishly admitting I live in Texas! Come on down - we'll make ya feel right at home! (But in all fairness I grew up in Chicago and lived there 25 years before I "escaped"!) I make tortilla soup quite a bit, but my fav comfort food is deep dish pizza!

Amy said...

Looks delicious! My favorite cold weather comfort food is Vegetable Soup. Lots of prep work, but totally worth it!

Topher said...

My favorite is spaghetti and meatballs. Thanks for the giveaway!


Chris

zekks at yahoo dot com

Mari said...

If any Texans get to adopt you then it's Cliff and me. Heck, you can even throw in Jesse and sweet Clara for fun.

We are also struggling with the shorter and dark too early days. But a big ol' batch of bacon, green chile, 3 cheese mac 'n cheese will make you say yee-haw.

Jessie said...

Chocolate is my favorite comfort food for any season, but something winter specific? Homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Unknown said...

My favorite winter comfort food? It's got to be a bowl full of vegetarian chili - it's quick, easy, and so warm and comfy!

Unknown said...

I have a list of comfort foods :
white creamy soups, chowders.
red chili's with sourcream & chives
tomato soup and a gooey grilled cheese

and wine.

Pix said...

Love the pix! And happy for a veg recipe. My fave winter food is faux chicken noodle & dumpling soup. Mmmm.

Pix--Curdsandkimchi (at) yahoo.com
Cheese Curds and Kimchi

Veronica said...

Mmmm, it's soups like this and big fattening casseroles (preferrably with a Mexican flair) that are my ultimate winter comfort foods. Anything steaming hot!

Chelsea said...

Yum! Tortilla soup is awesome, and yours looks beautiful! My favorite winter food is home made mac n cheese :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Thank-you Texas people! I have a place to go now. I'll run and tell my husband lol.

L

The Duo Dishes said...

A spicy soup will warm you right up in the winter. This works. Butternut squash soup with a little gorgonzola on top is a fave!

softhef said...

first off, i thought you said kRapweed honey, and i wasn't sure i wanted to post ;) but a wonderful recipe from my swedish mother-in-law is for orange rolls. we typically only eat them at thanksgiving and christmas, but if the dark and the cold set in early enough...i'll bust out a batch or two.

Sue said...

Yep, it seems every year Daylight Savings Time is harder to get used to!

Winter comfort food...hot apple pie!

Cynthia said...

My favorite is Chicken, Leek and Gnocchi soup - so yummy. Oh man, and I just now remembered what i forgot to put in the last pot- paprika! Teach me to cook by memory.

Farrah said...

My favorite comfort food is chicken pot pie and macaroni & cheese. yummy!

Krysta said...

My favorite comfort food is when Winter sets in is a nice big hearty bowl of chili with a bunch of toppings! bread pudding doesn't hurt either.

Heather said...

This soup looks totally amazing--I will definitely have to try it.

As for my favorite winter comfort food, it's gotta be my white bean & chicken chili with freshly made popovers. :)

Lindsay said...

My all time favorite winter comfort food is definatly my mom's vegetable soup. It can be made in a huge batch which feeds our family throught out the whole cold season. It keeps us warm, full, and happy! Especially with cornbread on the side :-)

Valerie said...

Favorite comfort food when the weather turns cold is my mom's country chicken casserole. It's super easy to throw together & it's hot and creamy when served. Mmmm!

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

That soup looks fantastic! And, as always, your photos are stunning.

Tortilla soup is actually one of my favorite comfort foods. And, of course, there's always mac and cheese :)

Marci said...

Texas is not the answer! Unless it's Austin. I'm in Houston, it's hot 8 months of the year, like not bearable to step outside hot. Lust over northern California or the midwest or something!
But we do have good food...and your soup looks great! My favorite winter food is chili. A New Year's Day tradition.

Christy Joy said...

That soup looks amazing!

My winter comfort foods are homemade bread with butter dipped in a hearty vegetable stew! :)

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Great giveaway, Laura. My favorite wintertime comfort food is probably a big batch of hearty beef stew served over a bed of thick egg noodles that have been perfectly cooked in water that was perfectly seasoned. It soothes the soul.

:)
ButterYum

Cynthia Hughes said...

This would b really good! Gonna make this tomorrow night, gotta get what i need to make this! Thanks! :)

Marcela said...

Mexican hot chocolate and tamales are my comfort food during the winter!!!

Anonymous said...

Seriously with the weather - I'm actually looking forward to trial because it means going to So. Cal. The weather forecasters are threatening snow for the weekend in Seattle -SNOW! Ah well, Harvest Minestrone Soup and more pasta than is good for me will keep me warm and no doubt add extra insulation around my middrift. ;)

Anonymous said...

Seriously with the weather - I'm actually looking forward to trial because it means going to So. Cal. The weather forecasters are threatening snow for the weekend in Seattle -SNOW! Ah well, Harvest Minestrone Soup and more pasta than is good for me will keep me warm and no doubt add extra insulation around my middrift. ;)

Lauren said...

My favorite winter comfort food.. oh man..

I don't think I can pick just one..

A nice piping hot bowl of chili with some cheese and greek yogurt on top.

A slice of homemade bread, toasted.

A nice glass of eggnog with a shot of brandy in it. And some cappucino biscotti to soak it up with.

Chef E said...

Gosh girl- I just want a bowl and a whole avocado to myself!

Monet said...

Um Laura...we have an extra bedroom here in Austin. You can stay with us anytime! Thanks for sharing this veggie tortilla soup. I'm sending this to Ryan so he can make it for me over the weekend :-) It looks delicious! As for comfort food in the winter...soup and bread is where it's at!

Anonymous said...

I'm going to have to go with a huge bowl of creamy potato soup. yummm.

Natalie said...

Butternut squash soup and focaccia bread. So warm and delicious

DanaS said...

My comfort food is actually a drink-hot chocolate! My parents bought me a "Cocomotion" hot cocoa maker for the holidays years ago and I still use it! Makes the best hot chocolate ever, even though it just requires milk or water and cocoa powder. YUM!

Steve said...

Laura,
Looks amazing and who would ever miss the chicken or beef. Can't wait to try. My go-to winter comfort? Toss up. Pot roast with mashed potatoes or White Chicken Chili. This could be a contender, however. Thanks.
Steve
http://www.myfavoriteflavours.com

Anonymous said...

So many things... hmmmm... i would have to say roasted chicken. I know, i have to be the odd one, LOL
beautiful pic, as always.
I hate the winter also, make sure you save room for me to move in also!

Levi said...

46 comments?!?! How can I win with these odds?
My favorite winter food (group) is soup. I love split pea and love, love what I call chicken tortilla soup only I don't use tortillas. I use chicken though.

Pumpkin would be another comfort food only used in winter. And squash. Delicata? All those little squishes. I love them.

Crazy Radishes said...

Roast turkey with gravy on it. Not only warms you up but also brings up lots of great holiday memories.

Eagles17 said...

My favorite winter comfort food is undoubtedly roasted squash (acorn, please!). =)

Diana said...

I live in Southern California - if I adopt you, will you make me this soup? ;)

Thanks for the kind words on my blog - brought a smile to my face!

Liz said...

Hot chocolate! Specifically, mexican hot chocolate. The abuelita tablets do in a pinch!

michelle said...

my favorite winter comfort food is chicken pot pie!

Dustin Baier said...

Your photos have a nice layout to them. You should share them over at www.dishfolio.com

sdfiek said...

This soup looks great! Will probably give it a try next week - My favorite winter comfort foods are soups -potato leek or chili with cornbread. sdfiek at gmail.com

Monica said...

I've lived in Iowa my entire life until 3 months ago when I moved to Texas... it still gets dark sometime around 5:30. I definitely miss Iowa, but maybe I'm crazy too :)
My favorite comfort food would have to be chicken and dumplings

Terri. said...

My favorite comfort food is macaroni & cheese...
tshaw6580@yahoo.com

Chana said...

Definitely macaroni & cheese or chili!

chanabmiller at gmail dot com

Lennie said...

My coworkers and I have been talking about chicken tortilla soup for the past two weeks, and I think this is JUST the recipe I needed to convince me to make it at home!

My favorite winter comfort food is definitely chicken pot pie. Working on the dough, preparing the filling, putting it all together and baking it...it's definitely a labor of love that I only undertake on the coldest of days.

Thanks so much for sharing this; I can't wait to try!

Unknown said...

I love love tortilla soup. That looks so good.

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Mmm I love it when you make vegetarian dishes, Laura. They all look so yummy.

BumbleVee said...

Beef stew and fluffy dumplings... mmmmmm... although, I do make it at least twice in the summer....I love it anytime of year.... but, it seems a wintery meal..

today it is a rotten -14C and... snowing... perfect stew days....

Terry C said...

Simple, old-fashioned tuna casserole dressed up a little bit with pecans and crisp bites of celery, red onion, and edamame. Sometimes we serve it over mashed potatoes, which may not be the healthiest way to do it, but in the dead of winter it's wonderful comfort foot.

Chef Fresco said...

Yum! This looks so tasty! Perfect for fall!

Rusthawk said...

My favorite winter comfort food is gumbo ...and a close second is chicken and dumplings. :)

(And anything warm out of the oven that has flour, butter, and chocolate in it.)

Deanne said...

Hey Laura!
It's Deanne from high school. I just discovered your blog (thanks Missy) and love it. I tried this recipe tonight and my husband and 17-month-old gobbled it up. I'm so happy you are doing so well and found your passion.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Deanne you cannot simply leave a comment without an email. Without adding me to Facebook. Without even a phone number!

Where the heck are you? Lol! How the heck are you?

Laura

Deanne said...

I wanted to make sure you really read your comments before leaving too much info. ;) Email me at deanneyo@yahoo.com when you have a minute and we'll catch up. So much to talk about!

Sarah Choueiry said...

Hi! i am so excited to make this tonight... one question though... when you say "light colored oil" does vegetable oil work or did you use something specific. Also i am going to cut the recipe in half to make it, since it is just me, i am assuming that should not be a problem? right? Very excited to have some warm soup on this cold day :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Sarah,

Light colored oil is any vegetable oil, canola oil or extra light olive oil. It's basically oil without a strong flavor.

You can make this in any amount you like, and take out or add anything you want as well.

I hope this helps.

Laura

Becky Ann Carico said...

Oh my goodness! This is so good and I am not even a vegetarian!!! I loved it and have passed it along to three friends!!

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