Tortilla Soup

This vegan recipe is hearty, spicy, and delicious. Don't be put off by the number of ingredients; it isn't difficult to make and SO worth the time...

Salsa:
Whisk together 1 T. olive oil, 1 T. fresh lime juice, 2 tsps. minced fresh jalapeno chile, 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Then gently stir in 1 avocado, pitted and cut into small dice, 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, 2 T. minced red onion, 2 T minced fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Soup:
In big pot, warm 1 T. olive oil, then add one coarsely chopped onion, 1 coarsely chopped red or yellow bell pepper, one stalk celery chopped, and 4 cloves minced garlic. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. cumin and stir well.

Add 3 cups vegetable stock (or half stock and half water), one 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes, one 15 oz can black beans, drained, 1/2 tp. black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 2 T. minced cilantro and salt to taste

Top each bowl of soup with corn chips and a mound of salsa. You can add some grated cheddar cheese if you like, but it's not needed for protein or taste.