Ready to kick start spring by channeling the warm flavors of a summer garden? Me too. This week I splurged on locally grown, ripe, greenhouse tomatoes, perfect avocados, and cilantro, to create this family-friendly vegan tortilla soup. I was partially inspired by the vegan chicken strips lazily lounging in my freezer, which I think add a hearty familiarity to this soup classic, but are completely optional and can also be substituted with some perfectly baked tofu, cut into strips or diced. Leftovers can be frozen for up to four weeks.

Ingredients:

Grape seed or other high heat oil for sauteing

1 jar of your favorite roasted salsa

9 oz. Beyond Meat Chicken Strips cooked according to package instructions *(optional)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ripe red bell pepper

1 ripe green bell pepper

1 pound diced yellow potatoes

4 cups fresh corn (either shaved off of cob, or frozen)

1 bunch curly kale, massaged with grape seed oil

One 28-oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

6 cups vegetable broth

3 cups cooked black beans

Salt & pepper (to taste)

Fiesta Mexican seasoning to taste (or something similar, found in the bulk spice section of most natural grocers)

Daiya cheese for garnishing (*optional)

Chopped avocado, for garnish

Homemade Tortilla sticks seasoned to your preferences.

Directions:

Note: If you are preparing your black beans from scratch, you'll want to pre-soak them the day before and slow cook them for several hours before beginning your soup. If using canned beans, just bring them up to warm in the veggie broth before proceeding with other ingredients.

1. Once your black beans are heated through and simmering in vegetable broth, within a large soup pot over medium heat, combine your, vegan chicken strips and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes stirring frequently, or according to package instructions.

2. Preheat oven to 425.

3. Dice potatoes into uniform bite-sized pieces and toss in grape seed oil. Bake in hot oven for twenty minutes, flipping half way through.

4. While your potatoes are roasting, chop the peppers and tear your kale into bite-sized pieces as well. Toss to lightly coat in grape seed oil.

5. At the same time that you flip your potatoes, pop your kale and bell peppers into the oven to roast.

6. At twenty minutes, remove potatoes from oven. Remove bell peppers and kale if they are roasted to your liking. If not, let them roast for an additional five minutes or so before removing.

7. If using fresh corn, remove it from the cob using a large knife. Set aside.

8. To your soup pot, add the corn and cooked vegan chicken strips, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. Stir well and add all of your oven roasted vegetables. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, prepare your homemade tortilla strips. (See video below. I like to season mine with garlic salt & a fiesta chili powder) *If you're in a pinch, store bought strips, or even tortilla chips are fine.

10. Serve up hot, topped with freshly chopped avocado, daiya cheese (*optional), fresh cilantro, and tortilla strips.