Leftover Power: Fajita Soup

I challenged myself to make the best use of leftovers from two dinners. Z. and I had pasta with red sauce twice and there was still some red sauce left. We also had vegetables left over from some vegetarian fajitas.

When I am not exactly sure what direction I want to go, I make soup. Of course you already know of my undying love of soup. I also believe soup is a little forgiving. Anything can go in soup, especially if you just have a little tidbit left.

Fajita Soup was born! I would call this soup a cousin of Tortilla Soup. I took a little liberty with the vegetables and used my favorite spices so it has a different name. I prefer the marinara sauce to a can of tomatoes sauce in this recipe. The marinara sauce added more flavor and created a rich, red color.

I made some crispy tortilla strips to enjoy with the soup. These were so delicious they deserve their own post. I loved eating the strips as a side to the soup but I also had a few in the soup which thickened the soup slightly in a very lovely way. Enjoy!

Fajita Soup

1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1-1 1/2 cups vegetarian fajita mix *
1-2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon harissa paste (or cayenne pepper to taste)
4 cups water **

Garnish: Avocado, lime juice, and crispy tortilla strips

1. In a soup pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally until carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the fajita mix and warm through.
3. Add the turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, and harissa paste, stir to combine, and toast about 30 seconds.
4. Add the marinara and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer about 15 minutes.
5. Season with kosher salt to taste. Serve with avocado, a spritz of lime juice, and crispy tortilla strips if desired.

* This particular batch originally started out as 1/2 onion (chopped), 1 bell pepper, 1 can of corn (drained), and 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained).

** To make soup cook more quickly, I first heat the water to boiling in a hot water kettle before adding it to the pot.