Inspired by “Emeril’s Favorite Tortilla Soup” by Emeril Lagasse

For omnivores, replace vegetable stock and tofu with chicken stock and chicken (precook chicken, either oven roasted, rotisserie, or pan sautéed)

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions -chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic -minced
5-6 poblano peppers -chopped with seeds removed
1/2 red bell pepper -chopped with seeds removed
1/2 green bell pepper -chopped with seeds removed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups of a mild vegetable stock (my own is made in bulk from a combination of scraps, mostly carrot, onion, celery, with the skin of 1-2 apples and a small amount of mushrooms scraps.. I suspect a vegetable bouillon would also work, but add at end instead of salt, then switch to salt before flavor overwhelms the cumin/coriander)
1 pound firm tofu, cubed and pre-cooked in your preferred seasonings
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (1 tablespoon if dried)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup of corn (frozen or fresh)
1/4 cup dried rice
2 cups oil, for frying tortillas
6 uncooked corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and thin sliced (for garnish)
6 tablespoons sour cream (for garnish)
Salt to taste

Prepare tofu by sautéing with flavorings. Soy is fine, but thinking that a small amount of flourless taco seasoning might be better

Prepare tortillas, fry in preferred oil at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (in pot or deep fryer) until a slightly darker shade of golden brown then you prefer for chips. We want them a bit tougher than would be used for that purpose. Remove with slotted spoon and place on dish covered with paper towels to drain

Prepare rice according to instructions on package, set aside until soup is completed

Tortilla Soup
In 4 quart pot, over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, and cook while stirring every minute or so as needed for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir constantly while cooking additional 1 minute. Add vegetable stock and simmer until onions and peppers are almost at preferred tenderness, then raise heat to almost boiling. Add prepared tofu and corn, cook additional 1 minute and remove from heat. Salt to taste

If using dried cilantro, add now then cooked rice and lime juice in 3 minutes. If fresh cilantro, wait 3 minutes and add cilantro, cooked rice, and lime juice. If soup has cooled too much, warm at high heat and remove from heat before adding lime juice

Serving soup
Ladle soup into bowl, sprinkle in a portion of cooked tortillas, place 2-3 slices of avocado on top in center, rest about a tablespoon of sour cream on top of that

Notes:
I also like to add 1 jalapeno pepper to this dish for heat, if it’s already too spicy as written, cut the ribs out of the poblanos, use 1 less of them, and 1 red pepper instead of 1/2

Sometimes I’ll garnish with fresh salsa instead of avocados

Reason this is labeled as “Testing”:
Primarily, I haven’t actually made this with tofu and vegetable stock, I make the chicken version. Also, the amount stock in the recipe isn’t 100% correct… I make stocks in bulk and use a little more than enough to cover the vegetables when I start to simmer, and would add more if needed after tofu and corn are added and waiting 3 minutes. I like a very hearty soup so want everything barely covered in stock, and add additional cumin and coriander if I use more than the 6 cups of stock this recipe requires

With this in mind, I would also like to determine the amount of onions and peppers measured by weight or cups after chopping before I remove from testing phase

Flourless taco seasoning if needed for tofu:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano