Mexican Rice Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp.)
• 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup short-grain rice
• 2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced (1 cup)
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels or 3 cups frozen corn kernels
• 8 inches flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, diced (1 cup)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 6 lime wedges
• hot sauce (to garnish) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 to make broth: heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
• 2 add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened.
• 3 stir in garlic, and sauté 1 minute more.
• 4 add vegetable broth, lime zest, oregano, and 3 cups water; cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.
• 5 simmer 10 minutes.
• 6 strain broth, discard solids, and return to saucepan.
• 7 add rice to broth.
• 8 bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is soft.
• 9 stir in tomatoes and corn, and season with salt and pepper.
• 10 simmer 10 minutes.
• 11 meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°f
• 12 spray flour tortilla with cooking spray, and cut into thin strips.
• 13 arrange strips on baking sheet, and bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until tortilla is crisp.
• 14 place diced avocado, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla strips in small bowls.
• 15 ladle soup into serving bowls.
• 16 garnish with avocado, tortilla strips, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce, if desired.