prep time: 15 min | cook time: 45 min

ingredients

makes 6-8 servings

• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups water, plus a bit more depending on soup consistency
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can corn
• 2 limes (one for the soup, and another optional one for garnish)
• 6-8 corn tortillas (one per person, OR you can do more if you love those tortilla strips)
• Cilantro
• Sour cream, optional
• 1 avocado, optional
• Cholula hot sauce, optional
• Cheddar or cotija cheese, optional
• Olive oil for cooking

prep

1. Finely dice onion.
2. Peel and mince garlic.
3. Mince jalapeno.
4. Drain and rinse the cans of black beans and corn in a colander in the sink.
5. Grab your corn tortillas and slice them into thin strips. I usually go with strips about ¼” wide. I typically start with one tortilla per person – if you like tortillas a lot, you can do more than that.
6. Slice one lime into quarters (the one you are adding to the soup). If you got an additional lime for garnishing the soups, cut that lime into smaller wedges.

get cooking

1. Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
2. Saute onion and jalapeno in the pot until onions soften, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another couple minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
3. Stir in the cumin and chili powder.
4. Stir in the cans of tomatoes and 4 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, fry up your tortilla strips.
   • Set a pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil so there is a shallow layer (about ⅓-inch thick) along the bottom of the pan so you can shallow-fry the strips. Have a plate with paper towel or dish towel on top of it sitting nearby.
   • Once the olive oil is hot, add the tortilla strips to the pan. Make sure not to overcrowd – cook in batches if you need to. Fry until the strips turn golden and remove from the pan onto your plate. Salt them immediately after removing them from the oil – this is important so the salt sticks!
6. After 20 minutes of the soup simmering, add black beans, corn, and ½ teaspoon salt to the pot and stir. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
7. Squeeze one lime into the pot and stir.
8. If needed, add a small amount of water to thin out the soup until you get your desired consistency. I like my soups a bit thicker but it’s all up to personal preference.
9. Salt to taste until the flavors of the soup come alive.
10. Add toppings – tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and hot sauce. You don’t need to add all of these, but I personally think the tortilla strips, sour cream, and hot sauce are essential.