Grab a spoon and enjoy the warm and comforting flavors of this simple, homemade vegan tortilla soup! It’s packed with vegetables and black beans in a slightly spicy tomato broth and topped with crunchy tortilla chips for added texture.
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Classic tortilla soup is an all-time favorite! The problem with traditional recipes is that they call for chicken. Not with this recipe! It’s all about the vegetables, but we didn’t forget the protein by adding black beans or tortillas!
This recipe takes only thirty minutes from start to finish, making it an ideal meal for busy weeknights. You can even throw the ingredients into a slow cooker at the start of the day and have a meal ready when you get home.
If you love this easy soup, you’ll also enjoy my easy vegan chili!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Quick and Easy to Make
- Filling and Satisfying
- Family Friendly
- Adjust the Spice Level
- Protein Packed
- Comforting and Flavorful
- Vegan and Gluten-Free
🔪 Tools and Equipment
- Large Pot
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Chopping Knife
- Ladle and Cooking Spoon
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Red Onion and Garlic: Onions and garlic provide aromatic flavors that are necessary when making tortilla soup.
Bell Peppers: I recommend combining green and red or orange bell peppers to balance flavors.
Jalapeño Pepper: Adds a hint of heat. If you don’t like it hot, you can skip the jalapeño pepper.
Diced Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes with the juices. Fire-roasted tomatoes add more flavor.
Black Beans: One can of black beans drained and rinsed.
Frozen Corn: You could also use fresh corn.
Spices: This soup is packed with a variety of spices. Luckily, they are all common spices you likely already have on hand. Grab your chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Tortilla Chips: This wouldn’t be tortilla soup without some crispy tortilla chips to crumble on top and serve on the side to scoop up all that goodness. You can make your own tortilla strips by cutting corn tortillas and bake in the oven. Or simply use your favorite brand of store-bought crispy tortilla strips or chips.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Change Up The Spices: I love to add more spices to my soups and chilis. It’s really what gives each spoonful a depth of flavor. I would suggest including smoked paprika for a smoky flavor, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for extra heat, or a small amount of curry for a slightly earthy flavor. If adding extra spices, I suggest ¼ to ½ a teaspoon.
Beans: Add more beans for extra protein, or swap out the black beans for a different type of bean. I suggest red kidney beans, pinto beans, and cannellini beans.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped bell peppers, diced jalapeño pepper, chili powder, and cumin to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are slightly softened.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (including the juice), black beans (drained and rinsed), and corn to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the lime juice.
- Serve hot soup, topped with avocado slices and cilantro, and garnished with crushed tortilla chips.
📝 Expert Tips
- Dice the vegetables the same size so that everything cooks evenly, and you get a nice bite with every spoonful.
- Add the spices after you sauté the onions and garlic for a more robust flavor. This gives the spices more time to meld with the flavors of the soup.
- Add a touch of lime juice as a finishing touch when serving. It brightens up the whole dish.
- For a thinner soup, add an additional cup of vegetable stock. Use low sodium when possible.
- For a thicker consistency, cook the soup for an additional 10 minutes.
❓ FAQS
There are several ways to amp up the protein in this soup. Add more beans. This will provide a thicker soup with a lot more protein per serving. You could also add diced tofu. The tofu will take on the soup’s flavor and offer a nice contrasting texture. You could also add vegan ground beef or diced vegan sausage.
Tortilla soup and taco soup are both hearty and flavorful Mexican-inspired soups, but they have distinct differences in ingredients and preparation. Tortilla soup has a tomato base, while taco soup has a thicker base, including tomato paste. Taco soup is also heartier, with more beans or meat if not vegan. While tortilla soup is served with tortilla strips, taco soup is not.
This tortilla soup is very healthy! It has many vegetables and protein for a balanced meal in one bowl. The tortilla chips make it feel extra special and decadent, but you’ll get plenty of vitamins and minerals in this low-calorie (232 kcal), low-fat meal (8 grams).
🍽 Serving Suggestions
There are lots of ways to top this vegan tortilla soup! Pick and choose the toppings you enjoy.
- On top of Brown Rice
- Diced Avocado
- Fresh Lime Wedges
- Roughly Chopped Parsley
- Dollop of Vegan Sour Cream
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Vegan Cornbread Muffins
- Diced Green Onions
- Vegan Cheese Shreds
⚖️ Serving Size
This recipe makes a large pot of soup. It serves anywhere from 6 to 8 servings, depending on the size of your bowls.
🫙 Storing
Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezer: This soup freezes well too. After it has cooled, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving some room at the top for expansion. Be sure to write the date on the container. It will keep for 2-3 months in the freezer.
Reheat: From the fridge, transfer the soup to a sauté pan and warm of medium heat. From the freezer, transfer to the fridge to defrost overnight. Then warm on the stovetop.
😋 More Vegan Soup Recipes!
🎥 Video
Recipe
Vegan Tortilla Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes one can
- 15 ounces black beans one can drained and rinse
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the diced bell peppers, diced jalapeño pepper, chili powder, and cumin to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are slightly softened.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (including the juice), black beans (drained and rinsed), and corn to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Then, stir in the lime juice.
- Top with avocado slices, cilantro, and crumbled tortilla chips. Serve hot.
Michelle
Love all of the flavor in this zesty soup! Definitely a winner for a cold evening
Anjali
This was such a flavorful, hearty and satisfying soup!! It was the perfect dinner for our family tonight – even my kids loved it!
veenaazmanov
I loved the way you described the combination of enjoy this yummy soup. Tortilla as well as Avocado. The hot flavors sounds perfect for a cold winter.
Bobby
This soup recipe turned out amazing. I loved all the flavors and the combo with the tortilla chips. Thank you!