| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. A few comforts Happy Monday to you. Washington, D.C., has slid into fall, with weather that's gloriously brisk and breezy. I'm grateful for the extra helping of sun we've been getting, but the lower temperatures make me want to put on a fuzzy sweater and sip on a mug of tea all day. Come dinner time, I've had soup on my mind. Today's recipe, for a mushroom and black bean tortilla soup, is a creamy bowl of comforting flavors and varied textures. But before we get to the cooking, I have a couple of other comforts to share. 1. The Spanish poet Gerardo Diego was born on this day in 1896. Here's a poem of his, called "Rhyme," translated by Francisco Aragón: Your eyes breathe in the rain's curls
And when the sun sets on your cheeks
your hair doesn't wet nor is the afternoon blond
Love Switch off the moon Don't drink your words
nor spill into my cup the bitter rings under your eyes
The morning to see you is sporting a tan
Switch on the sun Love
and slay the evening dance 2. My colleague Becky Krystal loves baking as much as I do. Last week, she brought us a genius single-serving chocolate chip cookie recipe from "Small Batch Bakes" by Edd Kimber. I'm delighted by the concept, and I can't wait to try it the next time I'm itching for a warm chocolate chip cookie but don't feel like making a whole batch. And now about that soup: It's a recipe my editor Joe Yonan brought to The Post last year from Eddie Garza's "The 30-Day Vegan Meal Plan for Beginners." Based on a recipe his grandmother made, Garza's version substitutes mushrooms for the usual chicken. But, as Joe wrote, "if you know (and therefore love) tortilla soup, you know that the chicken is really not the star, anyhow." Tortilla soup is all about the broth, which is often thickened with tortillas, and the toppings — in this case, crunchy tortilla strips that add body and texture. A touch of chipotles in adobo lends the broth in this soup a pleasing smokiness, and mushrooms and black beans give it heft and chew. The thing that sold me on this soup? Joe's note about how easy it is: "The recipe is such a breeze to put together, it surprised me that it resulted in such complex flavors."  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Marie Ostrosky for The Washington Post | Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla SoupFind substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe. Want to save this recipe? View it on Voraciously here and click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of the page to add it to your Reading List. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 4
Active time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins Ingredients - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1/2 small yellow onion (3 ounces), chopped
- 1 medium carrot (3 ounces), scrubbed and chopped
- 1 celery rib (2 ounces), chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)
- 8 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms (may substitute maitake, shiitakes or buttons), trimmed and cut or torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
- 4 cups homemade or no-salt-added vegetable broth
- One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans (1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese of your choice, such as Violife
- 1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted and cut into wedges
Steps1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, add enough corn tortilla strips to fit in one layer without overlapping, and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the strips to a plate lined with a clean towel, and repeat with the remaining strips, adding more oil if needed. 2. In the same pot over medium-high heat, heat another 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the tomatoes with their juices and the adobo sauce, and blend until smooth. 3. In the same pot over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. 4. Add the cumin, oregano, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 seconds. Pour in the tomato mixture from the blender and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, and cook for about 5 minutes. 5. Add the broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering and cook, uncovered, until the flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. 6. Add the beans, corn, 1/2 cup of cilantro and the lime juice. Cook until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste, and add more salt and/or lime juice, if needed. 7. Divide among serving bowls and top each serving with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado and the remaining cilantro. Serve hot. Adapted from "The 30-Day Vegan Meal Plan for Beginners" by Eddie Garza (Rockridge Press, 2021). Tested by Joe Yonan. Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 458; Total Fat: 21 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 618 mg; Carbohydrates: 59 g; Dietary Fiber: 15 g; Sugar: 12 g; Protein: 13 g.
Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: - No mushrooms? >> How about zucchini?
- Out of corn tortillas? >> You could use crispy flour tortillas instead, or tortillas made from an alternative grain. You can also use premade tortilla chips. (See our favorite store-bought brands.)
- In place of vegan cheese >> feel free to use cheese made from dairy. Goat's milk feta or cotija would be nice here.
- Not a black bean fan? >> Try this with white navy beans or add pulled chicken for a more traditional tortilla soup.
 | Dessert | 🎧 "Underground" by Thelonious Monk.
📺 "Close" trailer.
📖 "Feelings Are Our Facts" by Nick Strum in Poetry magazine.
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