I’m a fan of soups, and my favorite is tortilla. This roasted tomato tortilla soup is a different version of the usual broth based version with black beans and corn, and is easy and delicious. It’s also a great way to use up tomatoes that aren’t quite the best — you know, anything from a grocery store — as roasting them brings out their flavor in the best way.
My mom recently went on a trip to New Mexico and brought back some chili powder. It’s rich smoky and spicy aroma meant that I immediately I had to come up with something to make the flavor shine. Since tortilla soup is a favorite way of mine to use chili powder, this recipe came to life. 
There aren’t a lot of ingredients in this soup, so it’s nice for a busy night when it’s cold, and you want something spicy and warm and comforting. Once you roast the tomatoes, it’s as easy as sautéing some onions and garlic with spices, adding the tomatoes and broth, and then pureeing. The amount of broth you’ll use will depend on your tomatoes, so add it a little at a time to avoid a too thin soup.
For toppings, I like to make my own tortilla strips by frying thin strips of corn tortillas in vegetable oil, but crushed up tortilla chips will work as well. A dollop of sour cream to cool down the heat a bit, and you’re good to go. I’m usually a fan of piling all kinds of garnishes on my soup, but for this one, I wanted to just let the flavors shine, so I kept it minimal. A bit of cheese would work nicely here, though.
Roasted Tomato Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2-3 cups veggie broth
- Juice of 1 lime
- Colima Sea Salt to taste
- Toppings: Tortilla strips sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Lay the tomatoes cut side up and drizzle with half the oil. Season with a little salt and roast until tender and shriveled, 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute or so.
- Add the tomatoes and 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender until it reaches your desired consistency, adding more broth if necessary. Transfer back to the pot and add the lime juice. Season to taste with the Colima Sea Salt, and transfer to bowls. Top with your favorite toppings and serve.
