Sunday Soup #75: Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup

I know what you're thinking... Are eyebrows considered facial hair? After that, though, you may have had the same thought as me... As a meat-a-saurus, could I really like a vegetarian tortilla soup? My Spidey-senses usually tingle any time someone suggests that I cook a vegetarian dish, but my family is one of hundreds of thousands affected by the US Government shutdown, and money is tight right now. So my wife (Becky) suggested this vegetarian soup as a way to save a little on the grocery bill, and (I guess?) to be healthier or whatever. ;-) Let's see how it went...

This recipe came from: https://peasandcrayons.com/2017/02/vegetarian-lentil-tortilla-soup.html

*Pic 1 - https://peasandcrayons.com/2017/02/vegetarian-lentil-tortilla-soup.html

Variations from Recipe as Written: Not really a variation, since it was listed as "Optional" in the recipe, but we did not add heavy cream.

General Thoughts: Becky and I worked to prep this one together, so it went quickly. There was some dicing to be done, quite a few cans to open, beans to drain and rinse, etc., but considering that it was all going to be cooked in the Instant Pot (seal it, cook it, done!), it didn't feel that onerous. It looked a little brothy in the pot, but given the black beans, pinto beans, and (most importantly) dried lentils, I figured it would thicken up as it cooked.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

When the soup was ready, it smelled delightful! It had a rich aroma of (surprise, surprise) tortilla soup, which I think is quite important. The consistency was also a pleasant surprise. It wasn't too brothy and it wasn't too thick... Like Baby Bear's bowl of oatmeal for Goldilocks, it was JUST right! It was chocked full of legumes and veggies, all of which combined to give it a great mouth-feel, and made it come across as warm, hearty, and satisfying.

The taste was so surprising to me that I almost couldn't believe it... How could a vegetarian tortilla soup (in which I have always been accustomed to having meat protein) not make me miss chicken or other cooked animal flesh? I really enjoyed the flavors imparted by the veggies and spices, and the beans and lentils were perfect. Even the corn, of which I am not generally a fan in my tortilla soups, was tasty and not too overpowering. As it came out of the pot, it was a little bland for me (remember, Ryan = Fire Eater), but some sliced raw jalapeño as a garnish kicked it up to the right level for me. Also, I highly recommend (if you are so inclined) a dollop of sour cream, as well, as it gave the soup a great finish.

As an aside, I am not always eager to try tortilla soup recipes because they all taste the same to me. However, this one was just different enough (being vegetarian and so rich and hearty) that it held my interest.

Also, this one was TERRIFIC left over... A little thicker, but with the same wonderful taste and tummy-filling yumminess!

Potential Improvements? Not much to improve on here... I might like to try it with the heavy cream and see how that differs from the sour cream I used as garnish, but that is more out of curiosity than something I actually think could make it better. And, unless I had a reason to keep it vegetarian, it might benefit from some roasted chicken, but that is certainly not a requirement.

Polling the Fam: I really liked this one and would definitely make it again. Becky thought it was tasty and filling. Hunter thought it was good but opined that some chicken in it would be great. Fox (our picky one) even thought it was good and couldn't think of a way to improve it.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)