Vegetable Enchilada Soup

Winter is here again. And we are getting some much needed rains in California. There is something with the rains and the general cold weather that triggers in me a heightened level of appetite especially for things spicy. But considering the high calories that I would be consuming for Christmas and New Year season, I wanted to have some control on my cravings. Soups being healthy, filling and comforting, I made a big batch of this veggie loaded enchilada soup. This may not be the typical enchilada soup, as I have added orzo also into this. If you want to go with a more authentic version, you can skip the orzo.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced white onion (about 1 small white onion)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy granules rinsed in hot water and drained
3 cups chicken stock/ vegetable stock
1 1/4 cups (or 1 10-ounce can) red enchilada sauce
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Frozen corn
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices (I prefer fire-roasted)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chillies
1/2 to 3/4 tsp teaspoon fresh  ground roasted cumin
1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1/2 cup orzo
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1 teaspoon salt, or more/less to taste
Optional toppings: tortilla chips/strips, diced/sliced avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
Heat the oil in a large stock over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until cooked and translucent. Add the garilc and saute for an additional minute until fragrant. Stir in the soy granules and cook for an additional minute.
 Add  enchilada sauce, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles,mixed vegetables, corn,orzo, salt and cumin, along with the stock and stir until combined. Continue stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer stirring occasionally so that the soup does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once it reaches the consistency of your liking stir in the cheese, until combined. Taste, and season the soup to taste with salt.
Serve the soup warm with desired toppings.