Tortilla Soup with Crispy Strips

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 Stack the tortillas and cut them into thin strips (about 1/4 inch). Place on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

3 Place 1/2 cup of the broth in a medium saucepan. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add remaining broth and both kinds of canned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add beans, corn, chilies and cumin. Cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Blend very briefly in the cooking pot with an immersion blender, or mash slightly with a bean masher. Add avocado and mix well. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Serve in a bowl with Crispy Strips over the top.

Hint: To make this more spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the cumin. The Crispy Strips may be made ahead of time and placed in an airtight container until serving time. The strips may either be added to the bowl first, then the soup ladled over the strips, or add the strips to the top of the soup and stir in slightly. A dollop of tofu sour cream is also nice on top of the soup.