If you are looking for a hearty meal with the perfect amount of spice, then this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe is one you have to try. Beans and corn kernels swim alongside tomatoes and crispy corn tortilla strips and are topped with sour cream, green onion, and fresh cilantro making this an absolutely delicious dish.
Mouth Watering Soup Cuisine
The beautiful thing about this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe is that you can make it from start to finish in 20 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. This tortilla soup can be cooked in a large dutch oven or regular pot saving you time on clean up.
What makes this such a fantastic recipe is the low cost of ingredients. Vegetarian meals are typically less expensive, which is why I love to incorporate them into my weekly dinner plan. Black beans are an easy and affordable addition to vegetarian recipes and I use them often in place of meat like in my black bean burgers.
- COMFORT FOOD – This recipe is perfect for cold days making it the ultimate in comfort foods.
- NO MESS – This meal can be made in one pot with little to no mess giving you more time with fewer dishes.
- FAST – In 20 minutes, you and your family will be enjoying a delicious meal that is bursting with flavorful ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
To create the robust flavors in this spicy soup you will need to make a trip to the store to gather the necessary ingredients. Everything is then prepared to go into the same pot.
Prep time usually takes 5 minutes as most of the ingredients come in cans already prepared.
CANNED – Pick up one can of the following: black beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk. You can use either frozen corn, canned corn, or fresh corn for this soup. Pinto beans can also be used.
CORN TORTILLAS – You can use a bag of regular chips or make homemade tortilla strips by using corn tortilla wraps.
ONION – I prefer to use yellow onion but red onion will also work.
COCONUT MILK – Coconut milk adds a flavor that is just delightful and is great as a lactose-free option. You can also use heavy cream.
SPICES – A mixture of ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper is used to flavor the dish to your liking.
Pro Tip: To make homemade crispy tortilla strips, buy a pack of corn tortillas and slice them into small strips. Then fry tortilla strips in a pan with half a Tbsp of oil until crispy. Use the remaining tortillas for tacos another night.
Flavor Additions
You can easily get carried away with additional ingredients in this recipe, but for this one, less is more. However, here are a few ideas for additional flavors for your dish.
MEAT PROTEIN – Cooked chicken breast, shredded rotisserie chicken, spicy sausage and ground beef are all excellent choices.
VEGETABLES – Add a diced bell pepper or even a couple of sliced radishes. You can also use fire-roasted tomatoes for an authentic flavor.
SPICES – The great thing about this recipe is that you can control exactly how it tastes. Toss in a bay leaf before cooking, a generous pinch of smoked paprika for that smoky flavor, garlic powder, or adobo sauce for a spicier dish. Add more chili powder for a spicier dish.
Pro Tip: If you prefer spicy, have sour cream or greek yogurt on hand to cool your mouth before the next bite.
How To Make Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Some soups seem to take forever to come together in a pot. Sometimes hours are spent simmering ingredients together for that perfect flavor.
That’s the great thing about this recipe, it only takes 20 minutes to achieve its full potential.
- CHOP – Chop up the onion and mince the garlic. Put a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, and let the onion and garlic cook for 1-2 minutes.
- ADD – Add the canned lentils, black beans, frozen corn, tomatoes, coconut milk, water, and spices into the pot. Give that a stir, and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
- SERVE – Scoop into bowls. Serve tortilla strips and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
How To Store
If you’re making this in advance, or have some leftovers, here are a few ways to store them until needed.
REFRIGERATE – You can keep this in your fridge for 3-5 days.
FREEZE – This freezes incredibly well and can be kept frozen for 6 months to a year if sealed in an airtight container.
REHEAT – To reheat, just pop it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes or place it on the stove over medium heat until it reaches the desired temperature.
Ways To Serve
I love the versatility of this dish. You can serve this alongside so many other dishes, or by itself. I have listed a few ways below that my family enjoyed.
SHREDDED CHEESE – Marbled cheddar cheese seems to be a favorite in my house. I just grate it into a small bowl and let everyone choose how much they want.
FRESH CILANTRO – Finely chopped fresh cilantro served in a bowl will add some authentic flavor to your dish.
AVACADO – Either sliced avocado or diced avocado served in a bowl would be a delightful addition to anyone’s plate.
FRESH LIME JUICE – A little fresh lime juice adds the perfect amount of acidity. Just cut a couple of limes into wedges and serve in a bowl for your guests to use.
GREEN ONION – Dice up a few stalks of green onion and sprinkle on top of the serving bowls.
SOUR CREAM – If the recipe is a little on the spicy side, add a little sour cream or greek yogurt and use it to cool your mouth.
Common Questions
This recipe calls for canned items as they are easy to use and already prepared. But you can use dried beans by soaking them overnight, and fresh tomatoes from your garden. Just be sure to use the measurements from the recipe card below.
You easily thicken by adding cornstarch, or potato flour, tapioca flour, or arrowroot flour. Mix 1 tbsp of thickener with 2 tbsps of water and add while cooking. Repeat this until you reach your desired thickness.
To make your own tortilla strips, purchase a pack of corn tortillas and cut them into strips. Coat a large baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil making sure to spread evenly and line it with the tortilla strips. Pop that in the oven at 350ºC until you have crispy tortilla strips.
Cold winter days are perfect for this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe. Finely chopped ingredients and mild spice come together in a dutch oven or pot to create an amazing dish that everyone will love. Once you’ve tried it, I’m sure you will make it over and over again.
More Soup Recipes
I have included a few other delicious recipes that are perfect for cold days and are super easy to make.
- Turmeric Ginger Carrot Soup
- Roasted and Pureed Cauliflower Soup
- Healthy Hamburger Soup
- Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Cod, Corn, Potato Chowder
Black Bean Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion - diced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 15 oz canned black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz canned diced tomatoes - drained
- 1 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup lentils
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 15 oz coconut milk - or use 1 ½ cups of heavy cream or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water - vegetable broth or chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add a bit of cooking oil, the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until onion becomes translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in all other ingredients: black beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, corn, and lentils. Add the spices: cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper. .
- Mix everything together.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water (you can also use heavy cream or vegtable broth).
- Cover the pot and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Scoop into bowls and serve with fresh toppings including crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, green onions, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro.
Recipe Notes:
- REFRIGERATE – You can keep this in your fridge for 3-5 days.
- FREEZE – This freezes incredibly well and can be kept frozen for 6 months to a year if sealed in an airtight container.
- REHEAT – To reheat, just pop it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes or place it on the stove over medium heat until it reaches the desired temperature.