Que Pasa Spicy Tortilla Soup

Candice having fun at the Que Pasa cooking demo at the Gluten Free Expo

Happy 2016, que pasa (what's up)? Well, the past few years I've been blessed being able to combine my passions of cooking, eating and promoting organic foods at my job as Marketing Events Manager for Nature's Path Organic Food and Que Pasa. My role has me travelling often so that's why my posts haven't been frequent but I hope to change that this year. My new year's resolution is to try and post a recipe or a culinary story at least once a month, definitely doable (I will keep reminding myself)!

With January's cold rainy weather, it's nice to cuddle up to a bowl of warm and hearty soup. So last weekend I did a cooking demo on a Spicy Tortilla Soup topped with Que Pasa chips at the Gluten Free Expo Vancouver.  This one pot wonder is quick and easy to make, satisfying the healthy and tasty requirements while being vegetarian and gluten free. I especially like it because it's a nice meal if you want to entertain after the holidays without needing to spend too much time or money.

I'm not gluten free but working in the food industry, I've realized that not all gluten free foods are created equal. A gluten free label doesn't mean it's healthier and better for you. It's considering the quality of the ingredients in the gluten free products.  Not only are the Que Pasa chips third party certified gluten free, they are also certified organic and Non-GMO Project verified. Meaning the ingredients in the Que Pasa corn chips are not genetically modified, sprayed with synthetic chemical pesticides and herbicides or have artificial colours or preservatives. They are void of the artificial stuff but packed with lots of flavour, yay!

Good thing because Que Pasa are my favourite tortilla chips, and those end of the bag broken pieces are perfect to be topped on soups or salads of just plain snacking. I love the whole grain corn textures and satisfying crunch of each lightly salted chip, delicioso!

Que Pasa Spicy Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, medium chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped (1" thick)
2 tsp Mexican chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups gluten free vegetable stock
1 can (14oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup organic corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup gluten free salsa (canned diced tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp brown sugar (optional)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted & chopped
2 cups broken Que Pasa Tortilla chips
2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
Optional:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:
In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic & red bell peppers, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are soften. Add chilli powder and cumin, cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add stock, black beans and corn to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, season with salt & pepper. Divide among bowls and garnish with avocado, tortilla chips and cilantro or parsley.

Recipe adapted from Que Pasa Foods.