Tomato Tortilla Soup

I got the original non-vegan version of this recipe from Lovingyou.com, when I was planning a romantic surprise for my then-boyfriend. It's a great site for romantic ideas by the way. I "edited" it to make it vegetarian and brought it, still warm, in two separate containers, with a candle and lighter, and 2 warm blankets to the pier by Lake Ivanhoe down the street from his old apartment. We had a romantic moonlight picnic cuddled up in blankets with romantic Italian music drifting down to us from the little lakeside Italian restaurant that was less than a block from us. That was the first time he told me he loved me :) Needless to say, I always think romance whenever I make it. Jeremy, who has since then married me, absolutely loves this soup and counts it as his favorite soup.

1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
3 tsp grapeseed or coconut oil
2 cups vegetable broth (I use 2 rounded tsp of Bill's Best Chik'Nish and 2 cups of water)
2 T chopped red bell peppers
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/8 tsp basil leaves, dried
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
7 1/2 ounces tomato puree (I use one can of diced tomatoes or you can substitute with approx. 3 cups diced fresh tomatoes)
1/4 cup grapeseed/coconut oil
5 each corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" strips

GARNISHES
1/2 avocado sliced
Monterey Jack cheese (or whatever cheese you have on-hand or omit for a purely vegan recipe)

Cook and stir onions and garlic in 2 T oil in pot. Stir in broth, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, basil, salt, pepper, and tomato puree or diced tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Heat 1/4 cup oil in 10-in skillet until hot. (I don't usually use this much oil in my nonstick pan, I use only about a T or so). Fry tortilla strips in oil until light golden brown. Drain. Divide tortilla strips in two bowls. Pour broth over tortilla strips. Top with cheese and avocado slices.

This is another recipe that I like having cheese in. Sigh, my weakness. Jeremy loves the tortilla strips in the soup. The Mexican version of croutons? Definitely do the avocado slices. So yummy!