Hey guys. Although it’s Monday, I’m already looking forward to the weekend. Want to know why? Well, I’m really particular about my weekends. After a long work week, I make sure to take advantage of every MINUTE of my free time. Here’s how it usually goes:
Friday nights are for me. My brain is usually fried by the end of the week, so I’m not very productive on Friday nights. Once I get home from work, I like to stay in and relax. I shower, put on comfy pjs, sit in bed, and either watch TV or read. I’m asleep usually by 10:30PM. No crazy raging parties for me. While I’m sleeping, Bryan stays up and watches TV shows and movies that I’ll never be interested in seeing, like anything comic book related.
Saturdays are for friends. Over the years, I’ve realized that it’s all about quality over quantity. I’d MUCH rather have a few amazing, ride or die friends, than have a bunch of acquaintances. So, whether we’re grabbing coffee, going out for a double-date night, or just entertaining at home, I make it a point to schedule time with my friends.
Sundays are for family. That’s not saying that I’ll say no to a friend get-together on a Sunday, but generally, Sundays equal family time. It’s really important to me. I love turning on some acoustic music on Spotify, pouring myself a glass of wine, cooking a nice meal, and enjoying quality time with Bryan and Pete. Talking about nice meals… yesterday, I had a new recipe on the agenda – tortilla soup! It was so ungodly AMAZING, I knew that I had to share the wealth with you all. ENJOY, and thank me later.
The recipe is from my girl Noelle of Opera Singer in the Kitchen. I met Noelle at The Blog Connect conference back in April, and we immediately clicked. She and I thought it would be fun to swap recipes, and share them on our blogs. She wanted to try my zesty carrot {not so green} juice, and I was dying to try a vegetarian version of her chicken tortilla soup.
This weekend was the perfect time to make this dish because the weather pretty much SCREAMED soup. Outside was dreary, cold and just overall sad looking. I’m not even kidding. I don’t think that I’ve seen the sun in a whole week. But anyway…
Spoiler alert: This soup was the bomb (dot) com. Bryan and I loved this recipe SO so much. I kept saying over and over again how the soup would be perfect for basically everyone, because you could adjust the heat factor by adding more or less jalapeño and cayenne.
If you’re a vegetarian and your significant other is not, you both can still enjoy this meal. This is what I did for Bryan:
- While the soup is thickening on the stove, cook a piece of chicken breast in a separate pan.
- Once it’s done, shred it up and place it aside.
- Pour the soup in a bowl for your meat-loving friend/hubby/boyfriend/girlfriend whomever, and then add in the chicken.
Let’s get into the recipe!
- 4 cups veggie broth
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz ounce petite diced tomatoes
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 6 corn tortillas, cut in 8
- Corn tortilla chips, for topping
- Shredded cheese, for topping
- Heat oil in medium soup pot.
- Add onion, pepper, carrot, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the veggie broth, died tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, and all the spices, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the tortillas and boil for another 15 minutes, until the tortilla break up and the soup has thickened.
- Serve hot with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese.
So there you go, spicy vegetarian tortilla soup!
I’m already planning the next recipes I want to try from Noelle, including these vegan quinoa banana pancakes and tex-mex shrimp and guacamole toast. Go over to her blog and check them out.
I’ve got a busy Monday ahead of me, so I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.
xo, Nicole
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