Tax time can be a real challenge! you've got your accountants on one end pulling atg you for your receipts and maybe a hungry mob looking for value on the table. Here's a waay to get massive flavor at a fraction of the time and cost.

We're talkin' Tax Relief Tortilla Soup. It's quick & tasty and delivers conme-back-for-more results time and again. I'll get into specifics, but keep in mind that you can make this whatever you need it to be with pretty much whatever you have on hand. You'll take 3 simple ingredients to build upon with the right seasonings and I gaurantee you'll have a new lease on life!

Equipment
1 chef's knife
1 cutting board
1 large stock pot [heavy bottom]
1 wooden spoon
1 kettle or broth pot

Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onions [chopped]
salt [to taste]
1 lb tofu - extra firm [organic]
1 tbsp chipotle powder [amount optional]
1 cup cilantro [chopped]
salsa 4 cups
hot water or broth [enough for desired consistency]
tortilla chips [1 handful per person]
cheese 1/4 cup per person [vegetarian]

Step 1. Heat your pot, add your oil, fennel, dill, cumin seeds, chipotle powder and heat through until fragrant [about 30 seconds to 1 minute], toss in your onions and salt and saute until golden brown.
Step 2. Add your crumbled tofu and cook stirring until golden brown and firmed in texture [more meaty], stir in your chopped cilantro and salsa, bring to a rapid bubble and add your liquid [hot broth or water].
Step 3. Toss in your tortilla chips and cheese, taste for any adjustments and you're ready to serve.

btw... You can garnish this however you please: A dollop of sour cream, sliced olives, cilantro, roasted pepitas, shredded/crumbled cheese, guacamole, salsa...

Now I'm hungry again!

What I love most about this, and the majority of the dishes I create, is that measurements are optional. If you want a thinner soup you add more liquid, thicker you add less or more meat, cheese, tortillas or all of the above. It's totally up to you. Any of the variations will not only change the look and feel of the dish, but will make it appropriate for varied occasions. Here's a prime example...

Say you want the heartiness of a stew, but still want to maintain the brothiness of a soup...

What you'd do for that is increase your meat to liquid ratio. You would add more meat [tofu], giving you more substance, while allowing the broth to still remain thin enough to drink it in.

Say you want the rich thick nature of a stew that sticks to your ribs. You want to work to get your meal down and have it fill you up for hours to come...

For this scenario, you'd add less liquid to your salsa and more of the rest: meat, cheese and tortillas.

The combinations are only limited to your imagination, budget and time [if you're going for the slow cooker marathon - which is unnecessary to produce 'scrape-the-bottom-of-the-pot, finger-lickin'-good results!]. You should be able to get through this whole process in less than a half hour [closer to 15 minutes].

Trust me on this...

if you do this recipe right, you'll not only save yourself a bunch of money, time and energy, you'll also create a new favorite! [On 2nd thought... I don't know how much time, energy and money you'll save; considering all of the 'unexpected' visitors you'll have showing up at your front door for your famous Tax Relief Tortilla Soup!]
Well... at least you'll enjoy the meal [if you plate yours first]! ;~D

As always, it's my pleasure sharing these ideas with you. Until next time...