Tortilla Soup by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse

Ingredients

60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
1 green capsicum, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely diced (seeds removed for a milder soup)
2 Tbs crushed garlic
1 Tbs cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried chipotle, warmed through over an open flame until soft, split and seeds removed (or substitute 1 tsp smoked paprika)
400 g tinned diced tomatoes or freshly chopped tomatoes
2 L (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 corn cobs, kernels stripped
500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3 cups) tinned black beans
1 tsp dried oregano
2 fresh bay leaves
2 strips of orange peel
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped
Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1 cm (1/2 in) strips (this is a good recipe to use up your stale tortillas)

Garnishes:

Chopped avocado
Sliced radish
Coriander Cashew Cream (page 151) (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the capsicum, onion, jalapeño and a large pinch of salt and cook until soft.

Add the garlic, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, dried chipotle or smoked paprika and cook for around 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stock, corn, beans, herbs, orange peel and lime zest. Stir well to combine and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

To finish, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and chipotle chilli (if it hasn’t already dissolved) and add the lime juice and fresh coriander. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Coat the bottom of a frying pan with vegetable oil and place over medium heat.

Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry for 2–4 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Divide half of the tortilla strips among the serving bowls and pour the soup over the top.

Top with the remaining tortillas strips and garnish with chopped avocado, sliced radish and a drizzle of coriander cashew cream, if using.

Note: Perhaps don’t make this recipe first because you may suffer from not making anything else in the book. This soup is mega addictive and flavourful, and the more it sits in the fridge the better it gets; you will just eat it Monday to Sunday. Promise you’ll make other things?

Credits: This is an edited extract from Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (that happens to be vegan) by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $48.00.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (that happens to be vegan) by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $48.00.