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Quick and easy vegan tortilla soup is a busy family favorite, packed with beans, veggies, and those delicious, crispy tortilla strip toppings.

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Why you'll love this vegan tortilla soup
This is one of my all-time favorite soups! If you love Mexican flavors, you'll be head over heels for this tortilla soup at first bite. It perfectly balances savory and mildly spicy notes, making your taste buds dance with joy. You might even forget it’s vegan! Here’s what else you’ll love about this soup:
- It's naturally vegan and gluten-free!
- This comfort food is nourishing and satisfying.
- Made with budget-friendly staples available in any grocery store.
- You can make this soup ahead for a week of meals or freeze it for later.
- Includes stove and pressure cooker instructions.
Ingredients you'll need
- Olive Oil: Adds richness and helps sauté the vegetables, enhancing overall flavor.
- Red Onion: Provides sweetness and depth; milder than yellow onions, it adds color.
- Red Bell Pepper: Offers sweetness and crunch, balancing savory flavors.
- Garlic Cloves: Contributes aromatic depth and a warm flavor that complements the dish.
- Oregano: Adds earthy, minty notes, enhancing the soup’s Mexican flavor.
- Cumin: Provides warm, nutty flavor essential for a Mexican profile.
- Chipotle Powder: Delivers smoky heat, deepening the soup’s flavor complexity.
- Vegetable Broth: Serves as a flavorful base, making the soup rich and savory.
- Diced Tomatoes or Rotel: Adds acidity and sweetness; Rotel brings extra spice.
- Canned Black Beans: Adds protein, fiber, and a creamy texture.
- Canned Pinto Beans: Offers mild flavor and creaminess, enhancing heartiness.
- Corn (canned, fresh, or frozen): Introduces sweetness and texture, contributing nutrients.
- Salt: Enhances all flavors, balancing sweetness and savoriness.
- Black Pepper: Provides mild heat, adding complexity to the taste.
- Optional toppings: Fresh cilantro, lime, avocado, and tortilla strips take this soup over the top!
How to make vegan tortilla soup
- Saute the veggies in a soup pot; then add the canned ingredients, broth, and seasonings.
- Bring everything to a boil, then simmer.
- Prep and bake the tortilla strips using the instructions in the recipe card.
- Serve vegan tortilla soup warm, topped with tortilla strips, avocado, lime, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper.
How to make tortilla strips
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the corn tortillas into thin strips.
- Toss the tortilla strips in 2 teaspoons oil to coat.
- Bake for 10 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Allow to cool and serve as a tortilla soup topping.
Recipe tips
- Save time: Chop your produce ahead and refrigerate in airtight containers to save time during cooking, which gets dinner on the table faster.
- Swap the beans: Use all black beans, or all pintos, or another bean of choice.
- Canned vs. dried beans: If using dried beans, soak overnight and fully cook them before using. Canned beans are pre-cooked and can be added directly from the can.
- Adjust the spice level: Start with less chipotle powder and add more later if you prefer extra heat to customize the kick to your family's taste.
- Make it creamy: Blend a portion of the soup with an immersion blender before serving. This can help thicken the soup without adding any dairy.
- Tortilla strip shortcut: Replace the baked tortilla strips with crumbled packaged tortilla chips on top of the soup.
More Mexican recipes
More soup recipes
- Tomato Soup
- Kale and White Bean Soup
- Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Thai Coconut Soup
- Kale Chickpea Soup
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe
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When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ large Onion, diced (1 cup total)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced (1 cup total)
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Chipotle Powder, or chili powder
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce can) Diced Tomatoes, don't drain
- 1 (15-ounce can) Black Beans, rinsed and drained (approx 1.5 cups)
- 1 (15-ounce can) Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained (approx 1.5 cups)
- 1 cup Corn, fresh, frozen, or canned
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
(Optional) tortilla strips
- 4 Corn Tortillas, sliced into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add ONION, BELL PEPPER, and GARLIC. Sauté until fragrant and tender, stirring as needed (about 3 minutes).
- Stir in CUMIN and CHIPOTLE POWDER and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add VEGETABLE BROTH, DICED TOMATOES (with juice), BLACK BEANS, PINTO BEANS, CORN, OREGANO, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring as needed.
- To make tortilla strips, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tortilla strips with OLIVE OIL until well-coated. Bake for 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Cool completely.
- Serve the tortilla soup warm with tortilla strips and recommended toppings cilantro, lime, jalapeño, and avocado.
- To store, cool the soup completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store tortilla strips separately from the soup to maintain their crispness.
Equipment
- 4-quart soup pot or 6 quart pressure cooker
Tiffaney says
This is a fantastic, flavourful recipe! Made it as written, and myself and my husband loved it. We are incorporating more vegetarian and vegan meals into our diet and this one is a winner.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Tiffaney! I'm so glad my recipe found its way into your kitchen and you both love it! This one really is a winner for more meatless meals in our house too. Thanks for the review
Gabby | The Cookie Dough Diaries says
I'm trying to make more vegan meals and I made this last night and it is SO delicious! So easy and I honestly couldn't stop eating it. I didn't have any pinto beans on hand but I just substituted for kidney beans and it was still perfect. I kept going back for seconds, then thirds! Thanks for the delicious recipe, will be making again!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Gabby! I think you might love this tortilla soup as much as we do lol. I'm so happy to hear it and thanks for the feedback. I need to make your desserts! Wow! Thanks again 🙂