Hearty Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Recipe
If you want a hearty, all-in-one meal, this tortilla soup is calling your name (and calling it loudly). Recipe developer and wellness coach Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for hearty vegetarian tortilla soup and says, "It's one of my all-time favorite soups because it's so flavorful and the crunchy tortilla strips on top give you restaurant vibes."
You won't miss the meat in this wonderful soup because of all the hearty (thus the name) ingredients that will fill you to the rim. "We can thank the beans for this," Hahn says, "as they are truly a super food. They provide a high amount of protein and fiber along with many vitamins and minerals. It is no wonder that, per Healthline, beans are a common ingredient among the Blue Zones, the 5 regions in the world with the highest number of living centenarians." Now, we can't guarantee that this soup will inevitably help you hit that 100th birthday milestone; but we can guarantee that you will enjoy eating it and feel good about what you're putting into your body.
Gather the ingredients for hearty tortilla soup
To make this soup, you will need to grab some items from the produce aisle: an onion, red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, lime, and an avocado. You will also need oil, vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, corn, and corn tortillas. You may want to set up a toppings bar and if so, throw some red onion, cheese, and sour cream into your cart. Hahn notes that you can easily make this soup vegan by choosing dairy-free cheese and sour cream which are readily available at most stores.
Chop the veggies
After preheating the oven to 400 F, the chopping is step number one so, let's get out a big chopping board and start the process. Hahn recommends removing the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño before dicing to keep the heat to a minimum and notes that you can easily leave it out if you prefer milder food. You will want to give the onion and red pepper a medium size chop and mince the garlic. A rough chop on the cilantro is fine, and no worries if you include some cilantro stems.
Add the ingredients to a soup pot
Now let's get this soup cooking. Put the oil into a large stock pot and bring the heat to medium-high. Add the onion, red pepper, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Hahn says, " If your pot is getting dry, just add a couple of tablespoons of water to keep things moving around."
Add the broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Your house will start to smell amazing!
Prepare the tortilla strips
While the soup is simmering we have some time to get the tortillas ready. "You are going to use them in the soup to thicken it, and as a topper to add some crunch." Hahn says. Take half of the tortillas and cut them into 2x2-inch squares. These are going to be added to the soup in a bit. Cut the remaining tortillas into ¼x2-inch strips. Toss these with oil and salt and lay them on a baking tray. "Laying them in a single layer will help them crisp up," Hahn shares. Bake them for 10 minutes, giving them a flip at the halfway point. When they are done they will continue to harden as they cool.
Add the final ingredients and serve
Once the soup has been simmering for 30 minutes (and luring your neighbors over from the aroma), add in the cilantro, corn, lime juice and tortilla squares. Stir the soup and serve with sliced avocado, your crispy tortilla strips and whatever other toppings you desire.
"Any type of green salad pairs nicely with this soup," Hahn says. We think this Mexican kale salad is a great complement. This soup stores well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week and can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave.
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 jalapeño
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil, divided
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup corn
- juice of 1 lime
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, for topping
- red onion, for serving
- shredded cheese, for serving
- sour cream, for serving
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Chop the onion, red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro.
- Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a large stock pot and bring heat to medium-high. Add the onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then lower to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Slice 4 of the tortillas into 2x2-inch pieces. Slice the remaining 4 tortillas into ¼x2-inch thin strips.
- Toss the strips with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Lay these out on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the cilantro, corn, lime juice, and the 2-inch tortilla squares. Stir to combine.
- Top with sliced avocado and any other toppings you desire.