Tomato Tortilla Soup

Carin made this soup tonight. It is so simple, but so tasty and pretty nutritious too.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes.
Serves 5.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups onions, chopped
5 large cloves of garlic
1 red chili, minced

1 medium green pepper, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 pound tofu (this was a substitute for chicken)
4 cups fresh tomatoes (if you use tinned tomatoes, the dish will taste tinny)
3 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock. We use Knorr's German "Delikatess Brühe".

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Corn Tortilla chips, crumbled
Cheddar or Monterey cheese
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

In a large pot on medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in oil until translucent.
Add peppers, cumin, oregano, and optionally tofu.
Sauté until tofu is browned, about 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, cooking over medium heat until they release their juices.
Add stock and corn kernels, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
You can optionally blend the soup after simmering, using a hand blender.
Finally, add lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve with grated cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, and cilantro.