Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I almost posted this recipe sans anecdote, and then I remembered Chris, munching happily on a tortilla strip, asking, "So what did you make these from?"  (Yep....... tortillas.)

Group One:
1 diced onion
3 thinly sliced carrots
3 thinly sliced celery stalks
2 tsp ea: Paprika, Cumin
1 tsp salt
2 Tb butter

Group Two:
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 can tomato paste
2 chipotles canned in adobo (deseeded and diced)
2 tsp adobo from can
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
**other diced veggies you want to sneak in (I had kohlrabi and summer squash)**

Group 3:
10 cups veg broth
1 TB soy sauce

Group 4:
Chopped cilantro, quartered limes, sliced avocado, feta or cotija cheese

Group 5
1 package fresh corn tortillas, sliced in strips
Vegetable oil
salt

Sautee Group One in bottom of sauce pan until soft, about 10 minutes, adding garlic from Group 2 about 5 minutes in.  Then add rest of Group Two and cook another 5 minutes.   Then add Group 3 and simmer.  Top with Group 4. 

Make tortilla strips (Group 5) by heating about 2 inches of oil in a deep frying pan, throwing strips in (careful not to splash yourself, and removing w/tongs to dry on paper towels once crispy (about 2 minutes).  Shake a little salt on while they cool.  Yum.  Add to soup and gobble. 

(Based on this recipe which includes chicken and is probably amazing for the meat-eaters!)