Spicy Tortilla Soup & Skinny Sweet Cornbread

I could eat Mexican food just about every day of the week. I love a good plate of spicy, flavorful food. What’s excellent about Mexican cuisine is that it takes some of the freshest food and presents dishes that are perfectly balanced with sweet, salty, savory, and spicy. My Vegan Spicy Tortilla Soup is no exception. It packs a punch and is super delicious. Plus, you can add a bevy of toppings to suit your own personal flavor style. I added radishes, cilantro, a little guacamole, and oven roasted tortilla strips.

Here’s the recipe:

Spicy Tortilla Soup (127 calories per serving – without toppings)

Serves 4

1 cup of chopped onion

1 cup of chopped fennel

4 cloves of chopped garlic

1 tablespoon of Kosher salt

1 tablespoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of hot chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

10 cups of vegetable stock

1 can of stewed tomatoes

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 medium zucchini, diced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Garnishes:

Sliced radishes

Baked tortilla chips

Fresh cilantro

Guacamole

Sour Cream

1In a large pot, saute the onion, fennel, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.

2. After about 3 minutes, add the salt, pepper, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, cumin, onion powder, and chili powder. Stir often so nothing sticks and cook the mixture for another 3-4 minutes so all the flavors can bloom and marry.

3. Add the vegetable stock and cook the soup on medium heat for 20 minutes. Then add the stewed tomatoes and diced zucchini. Cook for another 5 minutes and serve.

Skinny Sweet Cornbread (159 calories per serving)

Note: Makes 12 squares

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup of cornmeal

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

1 stick of melted low-fat butter spread

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients until the batter is smooth. Pour into a non-stick 8 inch by 8-inch pan and bake for 25 minutes or until you stick a toothpick into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.

3. Allow the cornbread to cool completely, then cut into squares.