Tortilla soup recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil (water sauté)
• 1 medium-size onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 ounces, or 784 g) diced or crushed tomatoes or 3 cups (680 g) Preserve-the-Harvest Diced Tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste
• 4 cups (940 ml) water
• ½ lime juice
• 1 tablespoon (1 g) chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ cup (120 ml) tequila (optional)
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1 to 2 cups (225 to 450 g) cubed chicken-flavored seitan, store-bought or homemade
• Use reconstituted soy curls or chickpeas to make gluten free
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ avocado, chopped and tossed with some lime juice and chili powder

The Night Before
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
In the Morning
2. Combine the sautéed onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, tequila, agave, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.
3. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender, being careful of splatters of hot soup, or leave the soup chunky. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add optional seitan. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook until soup is warmed thoroughly.
4. Top bowls of hot soup with the avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro.