Tortilla Soup

One winter day in Boston I felt like cooking.  I looked in my pantry and tossed everything into a pot.  What came out was a tortilla soup.. kind of.  And it was fabulous (though the ugly photo makes me cringe).

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 c. beer
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1.5 jarred jalapeños, crushed
dash red pepper flakes
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/3 can water
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tbsp sugar

It could be as simple as throwing all these ingredients into a pan, bringing it up to a boil, and simmering for 45 minutes.
Or, it could be more complicated: blooming the garlic, spices, and onion in 1 tbsp oil, adding tomatoes, deglaze with beer, add remaining ingredients except for cilantro.  Cook for 40 minutes and add cilantro in final minutes of cooking.  Garnish with dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips.