Red Bean Tortilla Soup
Notes: I used juicy Campari tomatoes here because they are naturally sweet, but any juicy variety will work. To add color, I cut spinach and jalapenocheddar wraps into strips and bake them to stand in for the tortilla.
1 cup dried red kidney beans Coarse kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large white onion, thinly
sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, plus more for garnish
4 cups Campari tomatoes,
diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
pepper
4 cups chicken or
vegetable broth
2 large tortillas (spinach and jalapeno-cheddar) cut into strips
Diced avocado for garnish Sour cream for garnish
(optional)
Directions: Soak kidney beans in water for about 5 hours. Change the water at least 3 or 4 times. Rinse the beans and drain the water. In a heavy pot, cook beans with 3 cups of water, a little salt and baking soda, over medium heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
In a heavy pot over medium heat, warm the oil.
Add onion and saute until just tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cilantro and turn off heat and let the aromatics cool in the pot for about 10 minutes.
Add the aromatics and tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, over medium heat. Add cumin and cayenne and stir well. Add cooked beans and broth. Then add salt to taste. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If the soup is too thick, add more broth.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place tortilla strips on the sheet and spritz them with cooking spray. Then sprinkle some salt on top. Bake for 10 minutes or until the strips are crisp, rotating the sheet halfway through and stirring occasionally. Remove from the sheet and let tortilla strips cool.
Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro and sour cream, if desired..
Ser ves 6.