Tortilla soup with roasted tomatoes and peppers

Summer fades, and we stand at the confluence of cooler evenings and the long-awaited bounty of edible nightshades (if your garden has been lucky in tomatoes and peppers). Now is the perfect time for tortilla soup.

I've taken my dad's recipe, which is already his own mish mash of two or three recipes, and changed it up by adding bell peppers to the tomato base. 

And roasting them.

Dad's Tortilla Soup, modified

Corn oil
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips (can skip this to save time)*
4 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
4 bell peppers, cut into quarters, seeds and ribs removed
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno, diced (also remove seeds if you prefer less heat)
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Other optional garnishes: diced avocado, roasted corn kernels, more diced tomato, grated cheese, chopped fresh herbs (cilantro and parsley are great), lime slices for squeezing juice, and sour cream or Mexican crema

*Optional: You can skip the frying in Step 2 below to save time, and instead use broken tortilla chips as garnish; however, the home-fried tortilla strips are a superior soup garnish, being thinner, crisper, and more fun. If you have time, I recommend doing it. 

1. Roast the tomatoes and bell peppers: Toss the tomatoes and bell peppers with oil, salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until wrinkled and slightly charred/browned.
2. Fry the tortilla strips and save for garnish: In a deep soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp. corn oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches sauté tortilla strips briefly until crisp and remove to a paper towel or newspaper. Add more oil as needed until all strips are fried.
3. Sauté the other veggies: Add another Tbsp oil to the pot if needed, and add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add everything else: Reduce the heat to low; add the roasted tomatoes and peppers, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and a 1 tsp. each salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and cook uncovered another 20 minutes.
5. Puree: Using an immersion blender or transferring  the soup in batches to a blender or food processor, puree until smooth. (Caution: blending hot foods builds pressure. Open your blender's lid's center hole and hold a rag over it instead. You can gently plug the hole but also lift it occasionally, keeping the whirling food inside but allowing steam to escape.)
6. Serve and garnish with the tortilla crisps (or broken chips) and anything else you like.

No, I do not have a photo of the finished product. Do you want to eat it or look at it?

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