This comforting vegan tortilla soup is packed with flavor using simple ingredients. Top with crispy tortilla strips and customize with your favorite toppings such as vegan sour cream and fresh avocado for a delicious and satisfying dish that the whole family can enjoy!
Last year I went to Mexico for a much-needed vacation and thoroughly enjoyed becoming fully immersed in their authentic food. It's safe to say I make vegan Mexican-inspired dishes at least once a week, whether it be my veggie black bean tacos, Mexican quinoa salad or bean and cheese taquitos, but a Mexican soup has always been missing come soup season.
This creamy tortilla soup is filling that void! Also known as sopa de tortilla, traditional tortilla soup consists of a hearty chicken broth featuring tomatoes, onion, garlic and dried chiles paired with freshly fried tortilla strips for crunch. This vegan version uses a variety of seasonings, dairy-free heavy cream, fresh vegetables, black beans and even a little maple syrup for some added sweetness to make a tortilla soup that is out of this world.
Why You'll Love this Vegan Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Variety of textures - creamy with bits of crunch from the thin tortilla strips
- Warm and comforting
- Savory and smoky flavor with hints of sweetness and spice
- Healthy and nutritious - loaded with fresh vegetables and black beans
- Vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
This soup comes together quickly and easily! See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
The Soup:
- extra virgin olive oil
- yellow onion
- fresh garlic
- spices - fine salt, chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder
- red bell pepper
- yellow bell pepper
- carrots
- jalapeño
- maple syrup
- diced tomatoes - I prefer canned tomatoes for convenience
- black beans
- water - no vegetable broth necessary as there is already so much flavor from all the other ingredients
- vegan heavy cream (cashews, water and salt)
The Homemade Tortilla Strips (or use store-bought tortilla chips):
- tortillas - I prefer almond flour tortillas due to a corn sensitivity but corn tortillas are perfectly fine to use as well
- avocado oil
- salt
The Garnishes (optional):
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
- avocado
- diced red onions
- green onions
- vegan sour cream
- jalapeño slices
- shredded vegan cheese
How to Make Vegan Tortilla Soup
1. Make the tortilla strips. Brush both sides of the tortillas generously with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Stack the tortillas and use a pizza slicer to slice into ¼-inch strips (and then slice in the other direction to make them 2-3 inches long). Air fry at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, toss with tongs and then air fry again for another 2-3 minutes. They should look golden brown and crispy! Sprinkle with extra salt just as they come out of the air fryer and set aside.
2. Sauté the onions. Add olive oil, onions and salt to a 5.5 quart dutch oven or large pot and cook for 5-10 minutes over low to medium heat. If you have time to sauté them for longer you can start to caramelize the onions slightly to further bring out their natural sweetness, which will enhance the flavor of the soup.
3. Sauté the garlic and spices. Add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne to the pot and sauté for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the jalapeño, bell peppers, carrots, diced tomatoes, black beans, maple syrup and water. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the carrots are tender.
5. Add the vegan heavy cream. Stir well to incorporate.
6. Serve immediately. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with vegan sour cream, tortilla strips, cilantro, lime wedges, creamy avocado, diced red onion, sliced jalapeño and green onions.
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It will thicken a bit as it sits so feel free to thin it out the next day with a little water before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature first. Always leave an inch of space at the top of your container to allow for expansion as it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, let the soup thaw out in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More Hearty Vegan Soup Recipes
This vegetarian tortilla soup is one of my favorite soups to make because it is one my whole family loves, but it definitely is not the only hearty soup option out there! Try any of these other vegan soup recipes next time:
I hope you enjoy this Mexican tortilla soup! If you make it, please leave a comment below or share a photo @eatingbyelaine so I can see your creations!
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Best Vegan Tortilla Soup with Crispy Tortilla Strips
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This comforting vegan tortilla soup is packed with flavor using simple ingredients. Top with crispy tortilla strips and customize with your favorite toppings such as vegan sour cream and fresh avocado for a delicious and satisfying dish that the whole family can enjoy!
Ingredients
The Soup:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp fine salt
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed, seeded and finely diced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1, 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed (or home-cooked black beans)
- 6 cups water
- 1 batch vegan heavy cream (raw cashews, water, salt)
The Tortilla Strips:
- 8 small tortillas
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp salt
The Garnishes:
- fresh cilantro
- vegan sour cream
- lime wedges
- avocado slices
- raw diced red onions
- jalapeño slices
- green onions
Instructions
- Make the tortilla strips. Brush both sides of the tortillas generously with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Stack the tortillas and use a pizza slicer to slice into ¼-inch strips (and then slice in the other direction to make them 2-3 inches long). Air fry at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, toss with tongs and then air fry again for another 2-3 minutes. They should look golden brown and crispy! Sprinkle with extra salt just as they come out of the air fryer and set aside.
- Sauté the onions. Add olive oil, onions and salt to a 5.5 quart dutch oven or large pot and cook for 5-10 minutes over low to medium heat. If you have time to sauté them for longer you can start to caramelize the onions slightly to further bring out their natural sweetness, which will enhance the flavor of the soup.
- Sauté the garlic and spices. Add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne to the pot and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the jalapeño, bell peppers, carrots, diced tomatoes, black beans, maple syrup and water. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the carrots are tender.
- Add the vegan heavy cream. Stir well to incorporate.
- Serve immediately. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with vegan sour cream, tortilla strips, cilantro, lime wedges, creamy avocado, diced red onion, sliced jalapeño and green onions.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It will thicken a bit as it sits so feel free to thin it out the next day with a little water before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature first. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, let the soup thaw out in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ashlee Baskin says
About how much heavy cream is one batch? I have some vegan cream already made here and would rather use that than making a new batch. Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Ashlee: Good question! It is about 1 cup. But honestly it is flexible and if you like it really creamy you can use more. I hope that helps! Best, Elaine
Renee says
This was delicious! My son was recently found to be intolerant to gluten, dairy, and sugar so I'm so thankful to find your site. This is the first recipe I've made and I'm excited to keep trying all of them!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much! I appreciate you letting me know. I hope my recipes are helpful with you and your son. Best, Elaine
Miranda Acred says
Hello! What about using a store bought vegan heavy cream & vegan sour cream ?
Elaine Gordon says
Yes, that would likely work but results may vary slightly. I've only tested with my homemade versions. I imagine it would be fine though.