Name: Vegan Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 tbsp oil; 1 onion (diced); 3-4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 jalapeño (diced*); One 14-ounce pack diced tomatoes ((or use fresh tomatoes)); 3 tbsp tomato paste; 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste); 1/2 tsp turmeric ((optional)); 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar); 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or rice vinegar); 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (gluten-free if needed); 3 cups vegetable broth; 1/2 cup plant-based milk (or more vegetable broth); 1/2 cup corn ((fried)**); One 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed); 1 avocado (chopped (optional)); Fresh herbs (e.g. cilantro) (to garnish); 4 corn tortillas; 2 tbsp oil; 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed); 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

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5 from 6 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!

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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

Helpful Tips For This Vegan Tortilla Soup

Make the tortilla soup in a crockpot/slow cooker (cook on low for 4-6 hours).
Double the batch and store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Use store-bought tortilla chips instead of homemade.
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: