Taco Soup: What to eat when the cupboard is bare
A rainy day dawned and it seemed it would not get any drier.
I was in someone else's vacation kitchen with a limited pantry. Because of the weather, I had little desire to walk to the nearby grocery.
Still, I was hungry.
And, what's that old saying? Hunger is the mother of invention. Something like that...
Black beans, half a lime, some grape tomatoes and bits and pieces of onion and scallions and a couple of cups of vegetable broth jumped out at me. There were a few spices. And a lonely tortilla. That had to be something, right?
The ingredients seemed like the makings of yet another taco. Not exactly what I had in mind, so I decided on a hearty soup...the perfect accompaniment to a rainy afternoon spent with a good cookbook.
I made this with toasted tortilla strips, but it would be good with rice, a bit of fresh cilantro or a sprinkling of cheese as well. Some left over corn and other kinds of beans would add a different spin to the dish.
Rainy Day Taco Soup
Makes 4 hearty servings
- 1 teaspoon of oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 shallot, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 15 grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups of vegetable broth (or even water, if there's no broth)
- 1 tortilla
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat, until it begins to shimmer in the pot.
- Add the onion, scallion, shallot and garlic and cook until they start to get soft and are not yet starting to brown. Season with cumin, oregano, turmeric, salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes and the bell pepper.
- Taste and add more of the spices, if that suits your taste.
- When the tomatoes begin to burst a little. add the beans and the broth and bring to a boil.
- Lower to simmer and leave it be for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the tortilla in half and then crosswise into strips. Toss in oil and put in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve on the soup.
1 tortills
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