Ingredients
1½tbspolive oil
1½cupsyellow onion,diced
1cupbell pepper,diced, any color
½cupcarrots,peeled and diced
1smalljalapeno,seeded and diced
1tbspgarlic,minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6cupsvegetable broth
15ozpetite tomatoes,diced
2cupscorn,fresh or frozen
2½tspchili powder
1½tspground cumin
30ozblack beans,(2 cans), drained and rinsed
1tbspfresh lime juice
⅓cupcilantro,chopped, slightly packed
1avocado,sliced or diced
Queso fresco,or shredded Mexican blend cheese, for serving, optional
8corn tortillas,(6 inch)
1½tbspolive oil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno and saute 4 minutes, add galic and saute 1 minute longer.
Pour in broth, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Add black beans and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
While soup is cooking brush sides of tortillas with olive oil. Then layer tortillas in stacks of 4 and cut each stack in half, then cut into small strips.
Separate strips and spread onto a greased 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet, working to place them in a single layer, then season lightly with salt.
Bake in preheated oven 6 minutes, toss then spread back out and bake 4 to 7 minutes longer until crisp. Let cool.
If serving all of the soup right away, stir half of the tortilla strips into soup (otherwise wait to stir strips in until reheating the soup).
Serve soup with avocado slices, cheese if desired and more tortilla strips on top.
