Being a gardener in August is a wonderful thing.
Even for a Former Black Thumb! [Can I call myself a Former Black Thumb if I still kill indoor plants? I guess that is debatable…]
I now have enough organic kale to supply Whole Foods. ;)
The sweetest tomatoes I’ve tasted!
We’ve been enjoying toasted tomato basil sandwiches lately. Just toast some bread, spread on Earth Balance, layer on the fresh tomatoes and basil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Nothing beats it!
Spring onions:
Gorgeous red peppers, soooo very sweet and crisp.
and many that still haven’t turned colour yet.
Banana Peppers too!
I turned some of our garden bounty into a delicious tortilla soup last night. Eric strained his back doing renos on the weekend, so I figured a healing soup (and massage) was just what the doctor ordered. While I can’t say that I healed his back, it sure put a big smile on his face!
Sometimes, a smile and a huge bowl of tortilla soup is all that you can ask for.
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Vegan Tortilla Soup
A wonderful soup to transition from end of summer into Fall. It packs a bounty of summer flavours, with a warming comfort for those cooler summer evenings. Be sure to season well, as it will really bring out the flavours. We added a hefty handful of vegan cheese, chopped avocado, tortilla strips, and green onion on top to really round out this hearty and filling dish.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 cups chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 ear fresh corn
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained (optional)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
- 1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or beans of choice)
- salt & pepper & crushed red chili pepper, to taste
- Fresh lime juice, to garnish on top
- Non-Dairy Cheese (I use Daiya cheese), for sprinkling
- Chopped avocado, for garnish
- Tortilla sticks (flour tortillas, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste)
1. In a large pot over medium to low heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven on medium broil setting.
2. Meanwhile, chop the peppers, zucchini, green onion, and remove corn from cob (I take a chef’s knife and slice down the 4 sides). Add the veggies into the pot and sauté for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Add in the crushed tomatoes, cumin, broth, and chia seeds. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes. Stir in drained and rinsed beans just before serving.
4. Meanwhile, make your tortilla strips. Slice flour tortillas into 2 inch strips (see below). Place in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on garlic powder and chili powder (to taste) and mix well with hands. Place on a lined baking sheet and broil for up to 3 minutes on medium. Watch very carefully. When golden, remove from oven.
5. After the soup simmers, ladle into bowls, and top with chopped avocado, fresh lime juice, cheese, green onion, and tortilla strips. Serve immediately. Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for 1 month.
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The fresh corn added a sweet crispness to the soup. Much better than the canned variety!
All the veggies sautéing…
After adding the cumin, tomatoes, broth, and salt & pepper.
This soups really shines with salt, pepper, a bit of crushed red pepper flakes, and Herbamare. I didn’t add chili peppers as Eric isn’t a fan of spicy food, but if I was making it for myself I would to give it a nice kick.
I also stirred in 2 tbsp of chia seeds to pack in more nutrition and thicken the broth slightly.
While the soup was simmering, I made some tortilla strips by slicing up an Ezekiel tortilla and sprinkling on olive oil, chili powder, and garlic powder. I broiled it on medium heat for 3 minutes until golden and crisp. They tasted amazing!
Your healing dinner is served, complete with Daiya cheese, fresh lime juice, chopped avocado, tortilla strips, Herbamare, pepper, and green onion!
With a side of tortilla chips and salsa. :) I really wish we had some Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips instead of these white corn ones though. We have a little obsession with the FSTG chips lately, but we don’t buy them much because they are pricey.
We both loved this soup! The best part is that we have plenty of leftovers to enjoy for quick lunches this week. You can also freeze it for up to a month if you desire.
I just realized that I meant to add kale into this soup too! Oops.
Let the transition from Summer into Fall begin…
Don’t forget you have until tomorrow to enter my Lululemon giveaway!
Yep that looks totally delicious and perfect for fall – soupy and warm but filled with summer’s bounty. I so wish I had a garden, I would love to grow my own veg.
Perfect timing for a soup recipe. Our gorgeous 31c or 87F weather changed overnight and we’re expecting a high of 12C or 53F today :( However, this soup recipe has cheered me up & I look forward to making it. Love the photos of your veggies — you should be very proud that your hard work and persistence have filled your kitchen with lots of healthy veggies — you’ve got a Green thumb now!
Oh man were your ears burning because I was just telling Margaret that your weather goes from hot to 12 degrees overnight…guess I wasn’t too far off!
Perfect soup for the fall weather that seems to be steadily creeping in! I love any soup with tomatoes, I’m all about harty vegetable soups
I love tortilla soup! This looks so good!!! thanks for posting!YUM
Every single thing that I just looked at was like heroin for my eyeballs.
YUM.
The soup looks incredible — and it must feel so good to have grown the veggies in there as well!
I hope Eric feels better soon. Jason has had plenty of days where his back is just killing him.
Such gorg colors! Autumn is my absolute favorite season and I am welcoming it with open arms! I said that I wanted to kick the last few days of summer off my calendar. This recipe makes me wants to come stay at your house all fall!
Oh the joys of having your own garden. Every Summer my Dad and I plant a veggie garden in the backyard. I swear, home-grown veggies taste 10x better than the kind you can buy at the store! :-)
They really do…I wasn’t sure how they’d taste, but it is true that they are sweeter and more flavourful!
I love all the vegetables growing in my garden right now at an alarming rate… it makes it so easy to make all these healthy recipes! The soup looks delicious. I should definitely grow kale next year too
I read your blog through Google Reader and this is the first time I’ve look at your new page header. So cute!! I love it!
Aww thanks!
That soup looks delicious! What a great way to use all your garden goodies. I’m so jealous of all the kale!! Green monsters are calling…. :)
Wow! This looks so good! I love that it is veganized:)
This looks so yummy!
I LOVE all the fresh produce you used! What a great way to get lots of veggies. Inspires me to do better about gardening! And your pictures are beautiful!!
The colors are just INCREDIBLE. And I adore that spoon.
Thanks Cait :)
Love the idea of using chia in this! I’d probably add a few chipotles too – they are my new addiction. :)
Looks so good! I’ll have to make this sometime this week/weekend.
This looks beautiful Ange, and I think you’ve done an AMAZING job with your garden this summer!! How rewarding! Love the photos and the bright pops of colour. Oh, and I hope Eric is ok!! :)
What a great recipe!! The photos of produce look amazing!! I love tomato sandwiches and with basil…mmm good! :) I think you can definitely say you were a black thumb..you have went above and beyond with the produce from your garden! :)
Happy Tuesday!
This looks wonderful! Can’t wait for the weather to cool down a bit more!
That’s so great that you have a garden! It’s fun and saves money! Not for me though… Haha not enough space in my studio apartment…