Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Avocado

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Vegetarian tortilla soup topped with avocado and Monterey Jack cheese is a hearty version of the traditional soup that even meat-eaters will find filling.

Ingredients

3 flour tortillas, cut into strips
cooking spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil, or as needed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes with juice, chopped
2 cups diced zucchini
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
5 cups vegetable broth
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2 Arrange tortilla strips on a baking sheet and lightly with cooking spray.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
4 Heat peanut oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat; saute onion, red bell pepper, and garlic until onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, zucchini, corn, and mushrooms; saute until zucchini is slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
5 Mix vegetable broth, chili powder, hot sauce, salt, and pepper into vegetable mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir cilantro into soup and remove stockpot from heat.
6 Ladle soup into serving bowls; top with tortilla strips, avocado slices, and Monterey Jack cheese.