Vegetarian Pumpkin Tortilla Soup - corn tortillas

Method

• Cut 6 of the tortillas into 1/2-inch squares.
• Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Add onion, garlic, cilantro, and chopped tortillas and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft.
• Add cumin and crushed peppers or cayenne and saute for another minute.
• Add pumpkin, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and salt and stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.
• While the soup is simmering, cut the remaining 6 tortillas in half and then into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking.
• Fry tortilla strips in two batches until crisp and light golden (about a minute).
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla strips to towels to drain.
• To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro.
• *As a personal preference, I like to put the cilantro, tortilla strips, avocado, (ALONG WITH sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese - my own additions) into smaller serving bowls for people to add themselves.
• Yum.
• *You can tailor the type and amount of hot pepper to your own tastes.
• We usually make this with a couple of crushed chile pequins but have also used cayenne pepper, which is more readily available.
• If you're not sure how much to use, start with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, taste the soup after it has simmered for awhile, and then add more if desired.