A woman with a can and a plan

I don't usually plan on using canned food for meals but sometimes the pantry is bare and the motivation to go out and re-stock it is equally low. (If you're concerned about BPA in canned food, it's easy to convert this using fresh and prepared ingredients.)

One of my favorite simple meals is tortilla soup. My recipe is a loose adaption from the How It All Vegan.

Tortilla soup
Serves 4

1 small onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
3 cups vegetable broth
15 ounce can diced tomatoes (or 2-3 medium size chopped fresh tomatoes)
15 ounce can black beans, drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
12 ounce can of Ro-Tel (or 2 seeded and minced jalapenos and saute with onions and garlic)

Crushed tortilla chips for OR you can saute strips of corn tortillas in a small amount of oil

Optional but highly recommended garnishings:
diced avocado
grated Monterey Jack cheese
diced red onion
sour cream
minced fresh cilantro
wedges of lime

Saute onion in oil until translucent over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add cumin and chili powder and stir to combine, let heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze pan with a small amount of vegetable broth, and then add the rest of the broth along with tomatoes, beans, and Ro-Tel. Bring to a boil, and then simmer 10 minutes for flavors to develop. Turn off heat and using an immersion blender, carefully puree half of the soup. It makes a little thicker and full-bodied. You could also use a potato masher. Bring it back to a simmer.

Garnish with tortilla chips and let soften a bit, I like the contrast of some softened chips and crisp ones. Garnish with your favorite toppings. Avocado, cilantro, and lime used together is my favorite.