Veggie fajita soup

To those of you in the UK: have you had to buy a boat yet? This rain is mental, I literally don't think it's stopped raining here for at least 2 days, not even just for 5 minutes. Luckily my area of Liverpool doesn't seem to have been flooded like some parts of the UK have (touch wood), but it's still pretty miserable here and there are some insanely huge puddles. Autumn is seriously determined to make its mark - a week ago, anyone who was still trying to cling onto the last days of summer was misguided... now they're just deluded.

After a cold, wet day walking around in the cold, wet weather, what's better to come home to than a big bowl of hot soup?

(the answer is nothing, by the way)

I've seen soups like this referred to as 'tortilla soup' before, but to me, 'fajita soup' makes more sense. A big, steaming bowl of spicy tomato soup, full of chunky vegetables, topped with crunchy tortilla croutons and your favourite fajita accessories - I went for coriander, spring onions and a bit of grated cheese, but you could opt for sour cream, avocado, lime juice - whatever Mexican flavours you fancy.

We even had this with an extra tortilla at the side for dipping - the crispy tortilla croutons taste amazing, but it was nice to have a softer version to clean the bowl with at the end (I needed something to stop me licking the bowl clean).

This recipe was the perfect amount for two people, but now I wish I'd made twice as much, because I'd love some leftovers. It was seriously tasty, and this would be the perfect thing to prepare me for another day out in the rain. Wish me luck!



Veggie fajita soup

Serves 2

1tbsp oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 peppers (I used half a yellow pepper and one green pepper), cut into short strips
100g sweetcorn kernels
2 small red chillis, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
400g tinned tomatoes
1/2tsp cumin
300ml vegetable stock
Black pepper
2tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 flour tortilla
Your favourite toppings, to serve (e.g. more coriander, spring onions, grated cheese, sour cream, lime juice, avocado)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion, garlic and strips of pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the corn, chopped chilli and spring onions, and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Next add the tinned tomatoes, cumin and vegetable stock, and season with plenty of black pepper. Place a lid on the pan, and simmer for 15-20 minutes (you may need to turn the heat down slightly to keep it at a steady simmer).

Meanwhile, cut the flour tortilla into short strips, and lay in a single layer on a lightly greased baking tray. Spray lightly with cooking spray if you have it, or drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F), until golden brown and crispy (keep an eye on them, as they will burn very quickly).

When the vegetables in the soup are soft, stir in the chopped coriander and serve it topped with the crispy tortilla strips and your favourite fajita toppings - I used more coriander, spring onions and some grated cheese. Serve with an extra tortilla for dipping if desired.