A meat-free meal is something no longer reserved for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Many people are now consciously making the decision to eat less meat in their diets – thanks impart to the sheer number of deliciously creative meatless meal options on the market.
One such creative source is the in-your-face cookbook, Thug Kitchen. This forward-thinking vegetarian cookbook uses colourful language to describe the recipes and preparation required to bring them to your table. Making it a fun read— if you’re not offended by the F-word.
One of my favourite meatless recipes from this book is for Tortilla Soup – which I figured was an appropriate share given that we’re still experiencing “soup weather” here in the Lower Mainland. This recipe is not only hot (temperature wise) but also mildly spicy to help add a little warming heat to your day. Pair it with a green salad or a fresh veggie platter and you’ve got yourself the perfect meat-free lunch or dinner for the whole family.
Let me know what you think!
Kelly
Tortilla Soup
Courtesy of Thug Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 tsp each ground cumin, dried oregano and chili powder
1/8 tsp salt
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 c tomato paste
5 c vegetable broth
1 tbsp lime juice
6-8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Toppings: Chopped cilantro, minced jalapeños, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions:
- In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in the oil until it starts to get translucent (about 2 mins).
- Add the carrot and bell pepper and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the jalapeños, garlic, spices and salt and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
- Now add lime juice and tortilla squares and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
- Serve with chickpeas piled in the centre of each bowl with toppings that you like.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Nutrition Breakdown
Based on recipe being divided into 5 servings
235 calories
8.3g protein
35.5g carbs
5.5g fat
