Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (2024)

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5 from 7 votes

This vegan tortilla soup is a wonderful weeknight dinner which is hearty, flavorful, and spicy! The recipe is healthy and easy to make with simple ingredients. Topped with crispy homemade tortilla strips which will make your mouth water!

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (1)

Healthy Vegan Tortilla Soup

I really love soup but what I love even more is crispy tortilla chips! So, of course, I had to make a healthy vegan tortilla soup with homemade tortilla chips/strips! It’s probably my favorite soup right now, even though I still adore my creamy pasta soup!

Why do I love this tortilla soup?

  1. It’s 100% vegan, no need to add chicken.
  2. The soup is flavorful, spicy, and comforting.
  3. The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients.

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (2)

How To Make A Vegan Tortilla Soup?

You can easily make this vegan tortilla soup in one pot on the stovetop.

  • First, chop the onion, garlic, jalapeño and sauté everything in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, all condiments, the vegetable broth, and plant-based milk. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Blend the soup with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender (don’t overfill the container and be careful not to burn yourself while blending).
  • Add all your favorite toppings and the homemade (or store-bought) tortilla chips and enjoy!

Another possibility would be to make the recipe in a crockpot/slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. I haven’t tried making the soup in an Instant Pot yet.

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (3)

What Is Tortilla Soup Made Of?

Classic tortilla soup is made with chicken (or tomato) broth. It usually contains ingredients like onion, garlic, chiles, black beans, and corn. It’s topped with crispy fried tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream and sometimes cheese.

The ingredients for my recipe are simple and easily available in most stores. You will need the following:

  • Onion and garlic
  • Diced tomatoes and tomato paste
  • Different condiments
  • Sweetener
  • Vegetable broth
  • Plant-based milk (or more veggie broth)
  • Black beans
  • Corn
  • Corn tortillas

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (4)

What Goes With Tortilla Soup For Dinner?

Sometimes I serve the soup with turmeric rice on the side or make wraps with my homemade tortillas.

You can also serve the tortilla soup with toasted tortillas or bread.

How to toast tortillas? I prefer to use my gas stove and the easiest method is this: Simply place a tortilla directly on the burner (lowest heat), and flip with a tong after 15-20 seconds. Watch carefully as you don’t want to burn the tortillas.

You can also toast tortillas in a non-stick pan (without oil) until nicely browned on the edges.

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (5)

How To Make Homemade Tortilla Chips?

It’s actually super easy to make homemade tortilla chips resp. strips! All you need is a few ingredients and an oven or a pan! As a side note, it’s best to use corn tortillas and not flour tortillas.

Mix the condiments together in a small bowl and brush the tortillas with it (from both sides). Cut into strips, spread on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

You can also fry the tortilla strips in a pan/skillet but you will need way more oil! Simply cover the bottom of a skillet with oil and heat it up. Then add the tortilla strips in a single layer (not overlapping). Fry from both sides until crispy!

This is what you will need for the homemade tortilla strips:

  • Corn tortillas

Condiments:

  • Smoked paprika
  • Oil
  • Soy sauce

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (6)

You Will Love This Vegan Tortilla Soup, Because It’s:

  • Spicy
  • Satisfying
  • Hearty
  • Comforting
  • Meat-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Low-fat
  • Easy to make with simple ingredients

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (7)

Helpful Tips For This Vegan Tortilla Soup

  1. Make the tortilla soup in a crockpot/slow cooker (cook on low for 4-6 hours).
  2. Double the batch and store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  3. Use store-bought tortilla chips instead of homemade.
  4. Beside black beans and grilled corn, I love to add avocado and lime wedges for serving

Should you recreate this healthy taco soup, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂 If you love Mexican (or Tex Mex) dishes definitely also check out the following recipes:

  • Homemade Gluten-Free Tortillas
  • Lentil Enchiladas
  • Breakfast Burritos
  • Taco Cups
  • Black Bean Quesadillas
  • Spinach Quesadillas with Eggplant
  • Oven Roasted Vegetable Fajitas

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (9)

Vegan Tortilla Soup

Author: Michaela Vais

This vegan tortilla soup is a wonderful weeknight dinner which is hearty, flavorful, and spicy! The recipe is healthy and easy to make with simple ingredients. Topped with crispy homemade tortilla strips which will make your mouth water!

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 283 kcal

Ingredients

Tortilla Soup

Homemade Tortilla Strips

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot and sauté onion, jalapeño, and garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

  • Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, all condiments, the vegetable broth, and plant-based milk (or use more vegetable broth) and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, prepare the homemade tortilla strips (skip this step if you are using store-bought tortilla chips). Preheat oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix oil, soy sauce, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Brush tortilla chips with the mixture from both sides (if you use more tortillas you will need to make more "sauce"). Cut tortillas into strips and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

  • Blend the soup with an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender (don't overfill the container and be careful not to burn yourself) and blend until smooth.

  • Serve soup in a bowl, add fried corn, black beans, avocado (if using), fresh herbs, and the homemade (or store-bought) tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Notes

  • *You can also use 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead of the jalapeño.
  • **I prefer to fry the corn in a skillet (with a little oil) before serving. You can also fry the black beans in the same pan.
  • Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Tortilla Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

283

% Daily Value*

Fat

8.8

g

14

%

Carbohydrates

34

g

11

%

Fiber

10.7

g

43

%

Sugar

10.7

g

12

%

Protein

9.6

g

19

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically

Equipment

Blender*

Immersion blender*

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (10) Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!

If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (11)

Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe - Elavegan (2024)

FAQs

What can I use to thicken my tortilla soup? ›

Incorporate Cornstarch

Cornstarch is another popular thickening agent that can be easily added to your chicken tortilla soup. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water to create a slurry.

Will tortilla chips thicken soup? ›

Second, you can add some crushed corn chips – tortilla chips work well, as do salty Fritos. The chips will soak up liquid and become soft, thickening the chili and adding flavor without being noticeable.

How do you make tortilla soup less spicy? ›

Basically, there are two ways to reduce how spicy any soup is:
  1. Make more soup and dilute the spices.
  2. Add more starch and/or dairy to the existing soup.
Nov 8, 2018

How do you thicken taco soup? ›

One option is to add crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips to the soup. The chips will dissolve and create a thicker consistency. Another alternative is to use instant mashed potatoes. Simply sprinkle some into the soup and stir well, allowing it to thicken before serving.

Is it better to thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How do you thicken tortilla soup with cornstarch? ›

Start by using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch at a time, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. More cornstarch slurry can be added, but be sure not to add too much. Only mix in a small amount of slurry at a time to ensure that your soup will thicken properly. Using corn starch is a fast, effective way to thicken soup.

What does cornstarch do in soup? ›

Cornstarch is a common thickening agent in the culinary arts, but if you add it directly to the liquid you want to thicken, it will clump up. To thicken a sauce or soup with cornstarch, you first need to make a slurry, which is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and liquid (usually water, stock or wine).

What do restaurants use to thicken soup? ›

Corn Starch

This completely versatile starch is used in savory and sweet dishes alike: gelatinizing fruit pie fillings or thickening your hefty, stick-to-your-bones soups.

How do you fix salty tortilla soup? ›

Add a small amount of fresh herbs to the soup and stir until well combined. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes can also help to reduce the saltiness of soup. Add a small amount of acid to the soup and stir until well combined.

Does coconut milk reduce spiciness? ›

Add coconut milk

Even though coconut milk doesn't contain the same casein protein that magical ingredient in dairy that helps cool down spicy food it does contain plenty of fat, which helps to calm the heat in a dish and cool it down.

Can I add milk to soup to make it creamy? ›

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.

What is the healthiest way to thicken soup? ›

One way to thicken a stew without flour is to add some cooked rice or quinoa. Another option is to puree some of the vegetables in the stew to thicken it. To thicken a stew without flour, some recipes call for using a thickener such as arrowroot starch or almond flour.

How do you know when soup goes bad? ›

Check the texture: If the soup has become slimy or has a strange texture, it's a sign that it's gone bad. Taste a small amount: If you're still not sure, you can taste a small amount of the soup. If it tastes off or has a strange flavor, it's best to err on the side of caution and throw it out.

What else can you use to thicken soup? ›

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

What can you use instead of flour to thicken soup? ›

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

What can I use to thicken soup besides flour? ›

Thicken the soup's liquid by:
  1. concentrating the liquid ingredients by evaporation.
  2. adding corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot.
  3. use a roux, made of liquid fat and some kind of flour.
  4. use gelatin, agar, or collagen (if the soup is consumed cool enough)
Apr 19, 2021

What can I use to thicken soup instead of cornstarch? ›

Here are five of the best cornstarch substitutes for all your thickening needs.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Yep, that's right — all-purpose flour is a very stable thickener. ...
  • Arrowroot Powder. ...
  • Potato Starch. ...
  • Rice Flour. ...
  • Tapioca Starch.
Jun 23, 2023

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