Weekly Recipe: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

This soup is inspired by celebrity chef Rick Bayless' version of tortilla soup. I've lightened it up by reducing the amount of cheese, oil and tortilla chips, and switching to baked chips instead of fried ones.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Serves 6
5 Points value

1 large dried pasilla (negro) chile, stemmed and seeded
1 15oz can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 large epazote sprig, if you have one
Salt
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubess
3 oz shredded Jack cheese
3 oz baked low-fat roughly broken tortilla chips
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving

Quickly toast the chile in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and doing the same thing on the other side. Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).

Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Pass the lime separately.