Vegan tortilla soup is an extremely simple and budget-friendly meal that comes together in about 30 minutes. This recipe is perfect for busy week nights or to prep on weekends and enjoy through the week. The ingredients in this vegan tortilla soup are simple but work together to create an amazing Mexican flavour. With crispy tortilla strips on top, the texture contrast makes for a great eating experience.
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This vegan tortilla soup recipe is also nutritionally balanced with the black beans and corn providing lots of plant-based protein and fibre, along with lots of tasty vegetables for additional fibre, vitamins and minerals.
As prepared for this recipe, vegan tortilla soup is also very low in fat; I highly recommend adding some avocado or guacamole when serving. Another idea, if you have a few extra minutes, is to make a simple vegan sour cream from cashews! Either way, adding some healthy fats to the meal will make it more filling and satisfying.
Adding some fat to a meal helps the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including beta-carotene (aka vitamin A) and vitamin E. Also, many other beneficial compounds found in plants (ex. certain antioxidants, polyphenols and other phytochemicals) are fat-soluble so you can increase the absorption of those by adding some fat to the meal as well.
Making Tortilla Strips to Top the Vegan Soup Recipe
There are a few options for making the tortilla strips for the soup. You can choose to use either flour or corn tortillas, depending on your preferences (or what you have around the house!). Both work well; here I’ve used flour tortillas. Look for whole grain tortillas if possible.
There’s also an option to cut the tortilla strips into triangles instead of the thinner strips shown in these pictures. I like to use the tortilla strips like a spoon, so cutting the tortillas into triangles makes this much easier. If you prefer to crumble your tortilla into the soup, any shape will work.
Flour and corn tortillas, in my experience, both crisp well in the oven without oil. If you want to add some oil to the strips that’s okay; I recommend using cooking spray to lightly coat the tortillas so it’s easier to get an even layer of oil.
Overall this vegan tortilla soup recipe is simple to make, budget-friendly and delicious. Enjoy!
Vegan Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Can Opener
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion about 1 C
- 1 large bell pepper about 1 – 1 ¼ C
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp oil (I like avocado oil but any liquid oil should work)
- 1 ½ C vegetable broth
- 1 28 oz can diced tomato
- 1 19 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ C salsa
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ - 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- ½ - 1 tsp Black pepper (to taste)
- 1 ½ C frozen corn kernels
- ½ C cilantro
- 6-8 small tortillas (flour or corn)
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Chop the onion and pepper into small pieces; mince the garlic. Add the onion, pepper and garlic to a large stock pot over medium heat with the 2 tbsp oil. Cook until the onion is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomato, black beans, salsa and spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper). Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, slice the tortilla into thin strips and spread out on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Spray with cooking spray (or drizzle with oil). Bake for 10 minutes, toss and bake for another 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden brown (may or may not brown but should get crispy).
- Chop the cilantro (while the soup simmers and the tortilla strips bake) and add it to the soup along with the frozen corn. Simmer for two minutes then remove the soup from the heat.
- Serve topped with crispy tortilla strips. Add avocado, guacamole or sour cream as desired.
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