Siesta Taco Soup

By Dolphl1970

Ingredients

• 1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (28oz)
• 2 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegetable Broth
• 1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can Lentils (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Red Onion (very thinly diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1-2 Fresh Jalapenos (sliced - the more you add the spicier it will be)
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper (diced into large pieces - you can use any bell pepper - we went with yellow because it would look pretty)
• 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2 teaspoon Braggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (add more if you want take up the spice a notch)
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• Dash of Liquid Smoke
• 2 large Tortillas (you can substitute Tortilla Chips if you want to skip a step and if you prefer "hard tacos" like me)
• 1/4 Cup Diaya Vegan Cheddar per bowl of soup (shredded)
• Sliced Black Olives and Diced Fresh Cilantro to garnish the top of each bowl
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Toss all ingredients except Tortillas, Daiya, Olives, Cilantro, Salt and Pepper into your faithful little slow cooker and mix. Fire up your slow cooker to high and cook for 2 hours. Then taste test it and add any Salt and/or Pepper - maybe some Hot Sauce - till you like the flavor. Then cover it up and cook for another hour.

If you are making your own Tortilla garnish : Heat oven to 400. Cut your Tortillas into thin strips and place on your handy pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes or until the edges are crispy. I baked mine for about 3 minutes but I wish I had done it longer so they would have looked more like these. Keep your oven going for the final step.

You're going to know your soup is ready when you taste test it and your heart does a little two step and your Onions have melted. Fill oven safe bowls 3/4 of the way full of your new favorite soup and then sprinkle some baked Tortilla slices and Daiya Cheddar over the top and bake until the Daiya gets all melty. It should take about 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove from the oven using mitts - your bowl is going to be hot. Let your bowls cool for about 15 minutes or until you can handle them without burning yourself. Then sprinkle some Cilantro and Olives over the top... or really whatever your favorite taco topping is... and serve warm with a little smile.