Roasted Tomato and Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup

Oh, baby. 

Casey made a video and that pretty much covers it, I'd say. No writing for me today.

Kidding, of course. I could hardly claim to have squeaked in under the wire on the whole being-a-millennial thing if I didn't have at least 500 words to say about soup on a daily basis. (I'm young! I swear!)

Young or not, nothing makes me feel quite so alive as a spicy, filling bowl of vegetable-laden soup. That's a lot of ingredients in that pic right there! Even considering that, they still add up to more than the sum of their parts. Lots of what you see is just there to build a sturdy, satisfying base - and you know what they say: it's all about that base. (groan, facepalm, etc.)

Look at all those pretty spices! The spice mixture is what distinguishes this broth from other tortilla soups I've made or had - coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin and cayenne pack not just heat, but warmth. Get rid of the cayenne if you're worried about terrifying your tongue or the tongues of your loved ones, or go nuts with it if you're up for some XTREME souping, bro. 

Such a smart ingredient in this recipe: Sweet potatoes. I can call it smart because it wasn't my idea - trying to stay humble even though this soup was uhhhhgood. They really balanced out the heat in the broth, as did the corn (my addition, so I guess maybe I'm bragging a little) and the lovely little roasted tomatoes. The tomato bites - bursting with that caramelized, acidic goodness - were totally the best bites, if there's a contest going. I think of all my soups as my children, but that doesn't mean I love all my bites the same. (Gosh, I hope they don't read this.)

Also balancing out the spice you've got that creamy avocado, nature's fire extinguisher, plus some sour cream to really cool things down if you need it. Side note: Leave out the sour cream or use a dairy-free sub, and you've got a great vegan meal straight from the heart of Flavorville (not to be confused with Flavortown, obvs). 

They liked it too! Or they lied to me to protect my feelings! Either way, great friends.

To sum up: I started getting full about halfway through this bowl, and there was no way I was gonna stop. Which is pretty fine because it's quite healthy and makes you feel good even when full! What I'm trying to say is, every time I hear the song "Wild Horses" from now on, I'm going to think of this soup.

Bonus if you're a gluten-free type: oh, um...guess I spoiled it before the colon.

Roasted Tomato and Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Anna Jones' A Modern Way to Eat
Serves 4 plus leftovers to send home to Brian

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and small diced
10 grape tomatoes, halved
10 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced
1/2 medium red onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for added heat)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup canned diced fire roasted green chiles
4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth (I used Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base - my vegetarian go-to)
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 a medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick (about 3/4 cup)
6 corn tortillas (or more if you're like us and couldn't stop munching on those crispies), sliced into 1/4" strips
1/2 an avocado, diced
Sour cream
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Take a baking sheet and place sweet potatoes on one side and grape/cherry tomatoes on the other side. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 - 25 minutes or until tomatoes get some little charred spots on them. Remove from oven and set aside, leaving oven on.

While sweet potato and tomatoes are roasting, heat a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in your favorite soup pot. It doesn't have to be your favorite, but I love this soup so much that I feel like it deserves it. Add green onions, red onion, and garlic, sprinkle on a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened (4 or 5 minutes). Add all the spices and stir until fragrant and a little toasted, about 1 minute.

Dump in canned tomatoes (including juice), green chiles, and broth, turn heat up to high and bring just to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low to simmer for a while to let the flavors combine. I let mine go for about 10 minutes while I puttered around and did other things.

Remove soup from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the broth until you get your desired consistency -- I went for a pretty smooth texture because I knew there would be plenty of other things to chew on, but it would probably be good left chunky, too.

Taste broth for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Return broth to medium heat and add roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, corn and zucchini. Adjust heat to keep soup at a simmer while you make the crispy tortilla strips.

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and place in oven for 4 or 5 minutes, until crispy. Set a timer so you don't have to throw a batch straight into the trash can like I did!

To serve, divide soup among bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of cilantro leaves, some roasted tomatoes and a nice handful of crispy tortilla strips. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze into the broth if desired (I forgot to until about halfway through and it was pretty exciting when I remembered - like the finding a three bucks in an old coat pocket kind of exciting.