Tortilla Soup

There is a restaurant called Marcellino's in Apple Valley, and they have the best tortilla soup I've ever tasted. This is as close as I've come to making tortilla soup anywhere near as good. It's great as a vegetarian soup, but you can also use chicken broth and add in some cooked chicken. Also, I love using the frozen pepper strips in the frozen vegetable aisle instead of chopping bell peppers.

Tortilla Soup

3 Tb vegetable oil, divided
6 corn tortillas, cut into very thin strips
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 14-15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
~2 tsp cumin
6 C vegetable or chicken broth
Juice of 1 lime
Jack and/or cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Heat 2 Tb of oil in a stockpot over med-high heat.
2. Add corn torilla strips and fry until crispy and golden brown.
3. Remove and drain on paper towels.
4. Add remaining 1 Tb oil and saute onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, and celery until onion is soft, ~6 minutes.
5. Add diced tomatoes plus their liquid and reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes.
6. Add cumin and broth. Heat to boiling, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
7. Add lime juice.
8. Serve with shredded cheese and crispy tortilla strips.