[belated] Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

The East Coast Muse was a bit preoccupied yesterday, and it's only now, Tuesday morning East Coast time, that the Meatless Monday post is being delivered to you. To be fair, it's not everyday one gets to find out the gender of their first child (for those who care - it's a boy!) But it's Tuesday now, and back to work.

This week's Meatless Monday post can be prepared vegan, should you skip adding shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream as garnish in the last step. This recipe is adapted from EatingWell.com - the original recipe called for some hard-to-find Mexican specialty ingredients, and we're all about making vegetarian/vegan cooking accessible to even the busiest singles and most harried mom's out there (let's be honest: negro pasilla and sprig epazote aren't just hanging out in your local grocery, unless you live in San Antonio - in which case, check out the original recipe and knock yourself out).

We hope you enjoy! ECM made this for her lunch co-op last week (post to come regarding this very fun new endeavour and its many benefits) and the ladies loved it - one even remarked that tofu and kale are not something she incorporates in her diet regularly (read: ever) and she gobbled it up and begged for the recipe.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
adapted from EatingWell.com

INGREDIENTS
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons chipotle sauce

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups water

1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu

4 cups chopped kale leaves

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 cups roughly broken tortilla chips

3/4 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese (cheddar and Monterrey-jack mix)

Sour cream (optional)

1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges

HOW TO 

1. Place the can of tomatoes and their juice as well as the chipotle sauce into a blender. Blend well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 9 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to the blender with the tomato-chipotle mixture. Blend until all ingredients are smooth.
3. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. When hot, add the puree and stir almost constantly until the puree has thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and water, and bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer, leaving the pot uncovered.
4. Drain tofu, rinse and pat dry, then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook in a single layer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until beginning to brown – this will take about 10 minutes total. Once the tofu cubes have become nice and golden on almost all sides, add to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes (again, uncovered).
5. Add the chopped kale to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on your taste and the saltiness of the broth you used (I found that I needed about a teaspoon of salt – but be sure to add a little at a time and taste as you go). Stir the soup until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes (you don’t want them mushy, just nice and tender).
6. Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Divide the avocado, tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream (if using) among the bowls. Serve warm, with lime wedges.