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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    November 12, 2017 36 Comments

    Vegan Tortilla Soup

    5.1K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This morning is the first day of the season that I woke up to a scattering of snow on the ground. You know what that means: snow angel? Snowball fight? Christmas movies? Hot chocolate? Time to pull out the winter coat? Soup recipes? The answer is C, all of the above. Especially soup recipes. There is nothing like warming up on a chilly evening with a satisfying bowl of hot soup. So that's why today we're talking Vegan Tortilla Soup.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    This Mexican inspired soup will have you slurping away in total silence. The silence will be because you'll be so wrapped up in the deliciousness of soup that dinner conversation will come to a complete hold until all soup bowls are empty. (I've witnessed this phenomenon before).

    Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! There's a reason this soup brings on silence, and that reason is deliciousness.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    The best part (oh yes, it get's better), is that this soup is shockingly easy to make. The soup itself comes together in 25 minutes (most of the time it's just simmering away). Then if you are feeling crafty you can fry your own tortilla strips, and if you're not, then just grab a bag of tortilla chips (both ways are excellent). A little garnish here and there, presto, gorgeous Vegan Tortilla Soup.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    To make Vegan Tortilla Soup: add the oil to a large pot and put over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through. Stir in the black beans and corn and cook an additional 5 minutes until everything is nice and hot.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    In the meantime, you can make the tortilla strips. If you don't want to fuss with this, simply use tortilla chips and skip this process.

    To make the tortilla strips, cut the tortillas into small strips. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and when hot, add the strips in a single layer. Fry for about 1 minute per side, flipping when the bottom is golden to fry the other side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

    To assemble the soup, scoop a serving of soup into a bowl. Top with avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips (or tortilla chips), and a squeeze of lime.

    Vegan Tortilla Soup! The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Print Recipe
    4.93 from 26 votes

    Vegan Tortilla Soup

    The perfect hearty soup for a chilly night, but surprisingly easy to make. Tomatoes, hearty black beans, pops of sweet corn, seasoned to perfection with Mexican spices. Top that with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of zesty lime. Hello flavour! 
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course : Soup
    Cuisine : Mexican
    Servings: 6 servings (makes about 2 litres)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the soup:

    • 1 tablespoon light oil, such as canola or vegetable
    • 1 yellow onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 litre vegetable broth (4 cups)
    • 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 19oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

    For garnishing:

    • 3 small corn tortillas OR 3 handfuls of tortilla chips (gluten-free if preferred)
    • 2 tablespoons light oil (needed only if frying your own tortillas - see instructions)
    • 1 avocado, sliced
    • 1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
    • 1 lime, cut into wedges
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    Instructions

    • For the soup: add the oil to a large pot and put over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through. 
    • Stir in the black beans and corn and cook an additional 5 minutes until everything is nice and hot.
    • For the tortillas: in the meantime, you can make the tortilla strips. If you don’t want to fuss with this, simply use tortilla chips and skip this process. To make the tortilla strips, cut the tortillas into small strips. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and when hot, add the strips in a single layer. Fry for about 1 minute per side, flipping when the bottom is golden to fry the other side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
    • To assemble the soup: scoop a serving of soup into a bowl. Top with avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips (or tortilla chips), and a squeeze of lime.

    Notes

    As with all tortilla soup, the tortilla strips get soggy as they sit in the soup, so I like to have a bowl of the tortillas on the table and everyone can top as they go to have the desired crunch all the way through.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.



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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. joan says

      January 20, 2023 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy, quick and delicious! Loved it with all the tortilla chips, lime, cilantro and avocado slices. I couldn't believe it turned out as delicious as it was even though it was so simple. I added frozen tomatoes from the garden instead of the canned tomatoes and I think they may have diluted my broth a bit so increased all the spices a wee bit to offset that. Thank you! We love this.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        January 24, 2023 at 2:30 pm

        We're so glad you enjoyed this one, Joan! Thanks for the great review.

        Reply
    2. Nicole says

      June 07, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing. Just so freaking delicious. I made it without onions (I was out) and garlic (family allergies).

      Reply
    3. Timothy says

      October 05, 2020 at 1:00 am

      5 stars
      Does the calorie count on this recipe include soup and garnish or just soup? 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:51 am

        The info is for 1 serving of fully prepared soup (so all garnishes, etc).

        Reply
    4. Elle says

      June 26, 2020 at 8:51 pm

      Really delicious. The whole family really liked this. I am a new vegan by a couple months and my family are hearty meat eaters. I did add a little red pepper and smoked paprika and it was wonderful. I also added a 6oz can of tomato paste because I wanted mine thicker, but that might have been my fault because one of my cans of tomato was in olive oil and garlic and I couldn't bring myself to drain it.

      Reply
    5. Sophie says

      December 08, 2018 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      Delicious and easy to make, too. Thanks!
      Wish I could find cilantro, but it's hard to get here in Italy (we have some very nice other stuff, of course), but it was very tasty all the same.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 10, 2018 at 8:40 am

        So happy you loved it, Sophie 🙂

        Reply
      • Cap'n Dave says

        April 09, 2019 at 11:58 am

        Hi, Sophie!

        Flat-leafed parsley is fairly close to cilantro (they're in the same family) but not as strong of a flavor. Still, you may want to give it a try if you can't find regular cilantro.

        Hope this helps!

        Reply
    6. CHRIS UCHYTIL says

      October 27, 2018 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      I made it, I fed it to my child and separated wife. Everybody loved it. We aren't even vegans!

      Great recipe and I will be making it again!

      I did modify a tiny bit: I used coconut oil (all I had) instead of a more neutral oil, Fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned, plus I added both cayenne to the broth as well as green onions to the garnish...
      Hope that isn't blasphemy because I really enjoyed this soup!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 28, 2018 at 8:15 pm

        So happy everyone enjoyed it so much 🙂

        Reply
    7. MrsElle says

      October 23, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      This soup is amazing. I meal prep every week and my husband loves this soup so much that I've made it every week for 2 months. I can certainly make it without referring back to the recipe now! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 24, 2018 at 2:51 pm

        Haha! That's awesome!! Thrilled you both love it so much 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sandra Jackson says

      October 17, 2018 at 6:02 pm

      4 stars
      Thank you so much quick a and easy to make. I am enjoying every bite!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 19, 2018 at 6:49 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    9. Jessica McLaws says

      October 06, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      Our entire dinner last night came from your website including this tortilla soup, cornbread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. So fast and so delicious! I added some crushed red chili flakes and smoked paprika to give the soup a little kick and it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 09, 2018 at 7:53 am

        Awesome! Now you're making me hungry!

        Reply
    10. Annie says

      April 22, 2018 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I make the Mexican soup for work every second week.

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 23, 2018 at 8:47 am

        Amazing! So happy you love it, Annie 🙂

        Reply
    11. Lisa says

      November 22, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      Sam! I want to scream with delight! Chicken tortilla soup was a absolute favorite of mine before becoming Vegan only 3 months ago! I was just thinking about this soup yesterday & wanting to figure out what I would substitute the chicken with! Now I know! Thank you so kindly for sharing such spectacular recipes! Hats off to the chef!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 23, 2017 at 1:21 pm

        Haha, you're most welcome, Lisa!! Congrats on your new veganism. Let me know if you ever have any other recipe requests 🙂

        Reply
      • Judy says

        February 19, 2022 at 5:20 pm

        Hi Lisa,
        Try adding Butler Soy Curls to resemble chicken. I use them in most soups and stews. They are awesome. Just break them into smaller pieces because they swell when they are hydrated.
        Judy

        Reply
    12. Srivani says

      November 22, 2017 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      You did it again! Sam-tastic! I was running so short on time for dinner, yet still managed to put this together in about 20 minutes. So filling, so tasty, so easy. Loved the crispy fried tortilla strips on top. Definitely a great soup on a cold Late November evening. Thanks Sam!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 23, 2017 at 1:21 pm

        Yay! Thrilled you loved it, Srivani. You're like my ultimate recipe tester 😀

        Reply
    13. Vicky says

      November 20, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Sam,
      We're having another cold night in Nebraska so I decided to try this soup. The spices really blended well together, and it was a hearty meal that filled my husband up. I served cornbread on the side and topped the soup with cilantro. I'm really having fun trying all your recipes! XOXOXO

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 21, 2017 at 10:12 am

        Yay! SO happy you enjoyed another recipe, Vicky! Now you got me hungry for soup with cornbread... hahaha

        Reply
    14. Patrice says

      November 19, 2017 at 12:48 am

      Hi! Would love to try this recipe! Do you have any suggestions to substitute for the black beans and corn?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 19, 2017 at 11:29 am

        Hi Patrice, the black beans and corn make up a lot of the recipe. Is there a reason you need to substitute them such as allergies?

        Reply
    15. Joanne Freund says

      November 14, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      Great soup! I love any excuse to add tortilla strips (they taste great on the tomato soup recipe in your book, too).

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2017 at 12:35 pm

        Oooh I bet they would! So happy you love the soup. 😀

        Reply
    16. Cheryl says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:06 pm

      4 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight. Yum! The tortilla chips were a fantastic addition! This will be tomorrow's lunch too!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 14, 2017 at 12:44 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    17. dar says

      November 12, 2017 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      golly, ms Sam, why not pick up a brush & turn this v.t. soup into a painting? It would not look out of place in an art gallery. As well, it might sway some of the viewing masses to go vegan,eh?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 13, 2017 at 6:19 pm

        Hahah! Well shucks, thank you 🙂

        Reply
    18. susan says

      November 12, 2017 at 11:47 am

      hello dinner!

      can't wait to make!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 13, 2017 at 6:10 pm

        Haha! Love it!

        Reply

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