Black Bean Tortilla Soup (Vegetarian)

One of my favorite things is this vegetarian tortilla soup with black beans.  I'm sure I worked off of some base recipe at some point, but I've made it my own.  Now, the key to this soup is really the toppings.  You have to have all the toppings.

Soup Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion

1 Small Red Bell Pepper

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp Cumin

1 14 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes in Sauce

1 4 Ounce Can Diced Mild Green Chilies

1 14 Ounce Can Enchilada Sauce (Hot or Mild)

21 Ounces Vegetable Stock

1/2 Tsp Pepper

1/2 Tsp Salt (To Taste)

1 14 Ounce Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed

1 14 Ounce Can of Corn (Optional)

Must-Have Toppings:

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Avocado, Cubed

Fresh Cilantro, Coarsely Chopped

Shredded Cheese of Your Choice

Sour Cream

Lime, Cut into Wedges

Cook Onion, Garlic, Pepper, and Cumin in Olive Oil for five minutes, until soft.  Add Tomatoes, Chilies, Enchilada Sauce, Stock, Pepper, and Salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.  Add Beans and Corn and continue to simmer 10 more minutes.  Squeeze lime into each bowl and serve topped with Cheese, Avocado, Cilantro, Sour Cream, and Tortilla Chips. 

This is a vegetarian dish but you could add chicken instead of or in addition to black beans, and use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock if you choose.  If you are vegan, you could substitute vegan cheese and sour cream for the dairy versions.

Trust me.  This is sooooo good.  Makes 4 servings.