Tortilla Soup
Warm up with a bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, made with black beans instead of chicken. This soup recipe is so fresh and satisfying!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Do you enjoy tortilla soup? It’s one of my all-time favorites! Tortilla soup is fresh and flavorful, earthy and a little spicy. Topped with a big handful of crispy tortilla strips, it’s a light but satisfying meal for lunch or dinner. As a bonus, it tastes even better the next day.
Tex-Mex tortilla soups most often include shredded chicken, but it’s not unusual to find vegetarian tortilla soups in Mexico. I can’t call this recipe fully authentic, though. It’s a delicious variation on classic tortilla soup (Sopa Azteca) that you can make at home any time you get the craving.
In Mexico, you’ll find tons of regional variations and personal preferences for tortilla soup. For this recipe, I added black beans for some heft, as well as a red bell pepper because I love the flavor and texture it provides. I tried to keep the remaining ingredients in line with what you might find in Mexico, but to be honest, I have more personal experience with the Tex-Mex variations I’ve sampled over the years.
This recipe is a fully reworked version of an old tortilla soup recipe on the blog. Perhaps you’ve made that one and enjoyed it, but I tried it again recently and just knew I could build in more flavor along the way. If you want a copy of the original, I’ve saved a PDF of the recipe right here.
This soup is closer to the spin on tortilla soup in my cookbook, Love Real Food, which features an irresistible sweet-and-spicy interplay between sweet potatoes and jalapeño. Give that one a try, too!
Watch How to Make Tortilla Soup
Chili Pepper Options
You have several options when making this soup, which vary a bit in terms of authenticity, ease and ingredient availability. I’ve written options one and three into the recipe below, so you’ll be able to follow the recipe either way. Here they are:
Option 1) Chili peppers + blender (most authentic)
First, we’ll toast the peppers in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor, then we’ll roughly chop them and remove the stem and seeds. Then, we’ll blend the toasted peppers into the canned tomatoes and proceed. This option is great because it’s the most authentic and lends a gorgeous, fiery red color and extra body to the soup.
Option 2) Chili peppers + no blender (my least favorite)
Another option is to toast the peppers, then throw them into the pot with the liquid ingredients to simmer. This is method used for my old recipe, but I don’t like it as much as the other options. The chili pepper imparts some flavor to the soup, but not as much flavor as either of the other options. If you choose this route, simply discard the chili peppers before serving.
Option 3) Chili powder + no blender (easiest option)
This is the simplest option and honestly, it yields delicious flavor. You’ll just need to use fresh chili powder with good flavor. I’ve successfully used Frontier Co-op’s chili powder. This would also be a great time to use a fun specialty chili powder, like chipotle or ancho chili powder. If desired, you can moderate the spice level by using less chili powder in the beginning and adding more, to taste.
More Mexican Recipes to Try
These fresh recipes feature Mexican and Tex-Mex influences. View all Mexican recipes here.
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
- Chilaquiles Rojos
- Pinto Posole
- Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Warm up with a bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, made with black beans instead of chicken. This soup recipe is so fresh and satisfying! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 mild dried chili peppers* or 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted if possible
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow or red onion, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch long, ¼-inch-wide strips
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Garnish options: Thinly sliced and roughly chopped radish, diced ripe avocado, crumbled feta cheese or drizzle of sour cream
Instructions
- If using dried chili peppers, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat or directly over a gas flame with tongs, turning as needed. Toast until fragrant and turning darker all over—this can happen quickly, in just a minute or two. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle, then roughly chop them, discarding the seeds and stem. Combine the canned tomatoes (along with their juices) and chopped peppers in the blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cumin (and chili powder, if using) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato-chili pepper blend (or just plain tomatoes, if going the chili powder route) and cook for a minute, while stirring, to bring out its best flavor.
- Add the beans and broth, and stir to combine. Raise the mixture to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to make the crispy tortilla strips. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until lightly and evenly coated. Bake until the strips are crisp and starting to turn golden, about 8 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway. Set aside.
- Stir most of the cilantro into the soup, reserving a bit for garnish. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Carefully taste the soup, and add more salt if the flavors don’t quite sing (I often add up to ¼ teaspoon salt). Add more lime juice if you’d like a little more zing.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Top with crispy tortilla strips, the reserved cilantro and any additional garnishes of your choice. Leftovers will keep well for up to 5 days; rewarm individual servings and top with garnishes when serving. Or freeze individual portions for several months and add toppings after reheating.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the Black Bean Tortilla Soup with Sweet Potatoes from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas or tortilla chips.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t top with cheese or sour cream.
Dried chili pepper options: Any mild chili pepper will do. Choose from pasilla peppers, ancho peppers, Anaheim (California) peppers, or New Mexico peppers (Chiles del Norte). I have tried this soup with Anaheim and New Mexican chilis and both were quite mild.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Was there hominy is this recipe at one time?
Hi Lynn, it’s in the post. But here is another PDF link.
Hi! I can’t open the PDF from the original recipe that used hominy and smoky peppers. Is there any way you could please email me a picture of just that recipe?
Thank you so much!
Hi Liz, please try again as it should be working now. Sorry you were having issues!
Just made this for dinner tonight and DELICIOUS!
Great to hear, Rachael! Thank you for your review.
Really good, the whole family enjoyed it. I added a bag of frozen corn, and the kids asked for more tortilla strips next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for your review.
Your original recipe pdf is not opening. Can I please get a copy. Thank you
Hi Dipali, Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try again, it should be working. If you are still having issues, email hello@cookieandkate.com
This soup was super easy and so tasty that I burned my mouth and kept right on eating! I had a little bit of cabbage in the fridge so shredded that as another crunchy topping. Might add in a jalapeño next time for some more heat — there will definitely be a next time.
Oh no! I am guilty of that myself too, Wendy. Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you found it that good.
Wonderful, easy weeknight dinner! Delicious and full of flavors. I added a small bay leaf and more chili powder. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow for lunch!
It’s delicious leftover, enjoy! Thank you for your review, M. Derrick.
I made the tortilla soup last week and it was absolutely delicious! I used ancho chili powder as I couldn’t easily obtain dried whole chilies of the varieties you mentioned. I will definitely make this again. Again, another hit Kate!
Thank you for making my meal planning so easy. This soup is delicious. Subbed a zucchini and some frozen corn for one of the cans of beans and added a little chipotle in adobo sauce. Made the tortilla strips in the air fryer.
Thanks for sharing all of your great recipes.
I’m glad you were able to use what you had and enjoy it, Debbi! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate – this was absolutely delicious. As an ex-pat living in Puerto Vallarta, vegetarian anything raises eyebrows with the lady who runs my local tienda. She did however point me to the proper dried chilis to use for a full rich flavor, and when I mentioned that the recipe was from a vege site named C&K, she couldn’t stop laughing about a dog named “Galleta”. Thanks as always!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
I noticed you changed the recipe and I cannot find the old recipe. Is there anywhere I can access that?
Hi! See the post of the PDF link for the old recipe. :)
I just made this recipe for my husband tonight. He loves it just like all of the other recipes of yours I’ve made. Thank you so much! Oh and I purchased a digital copy of your cookbook on Amazon.
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it and I hope you enjoy my cookbook!
I have made several of your soup recipes and muffins recipes- so good! Looking forward to trying this one. Will the left overs freeze well?
Hi! Leftovers should freeze well.
This soup is incredible! Probably the best tortilla soup I have ever made so thank you. Blending the dried chili peppers with the tomato sauce really enhances the flavour.
Awesome! Thank you so much, Jacquie.
Absolutely amazing! I wouldn’t change a thing. I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfect! Thank you!
PS You have been a part of our family’s dinner table most nights of the week for years…I owe you a huge ‘thanks’ for creating healthy recipes that my entire family loves to eat!
Chris, that’s just fantastic to hear! Thank you for letting me know. Glad this soup was a hit, too. :)
Hi Kate,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Would some chiles in adobo be a good substitute for the dried chiles? I have some I need to use up & didn’t know if I could just purée them with the tomatoes.
Thanks!
Anne
Hi Anne! I would suggest my chili powder note. Chilis in adobo could be good, but may be more spicy. If you try it, let me know!
This was delicious!! Two out of 3 boys loved it! (I think my youngest just didn’t want to admit he did!) I kept some of the tomato and pepper (used mild peppers) blend and used it to blend the onion and red peppers as well. Added a can of hominy for more texture and they ate it up! I told everyone I’ll add this to our rotation every two weeks, and my 10 yr old said, No, every two days!
Hooray! That’s great to hear. Thank you for your review, Stephanie.
Love this! Add 1-2 tortillas to the blender when you puree tomatoes! Adds a nice tortilla flavor to the broth! YUM YUM! Love the addition of beans to pump up nutrition.
This was so delicious! I added some frozen Trader Joe’s grilled corn. My tortillas tasted kind of stale within a couple of hours so next time I would just use fresh strips of corn tortilla but otherwise magnificent! Thank you for a keeper!
Thanks, Maria! I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup.
Hi there, you had a tortilla soup recipe that was similar to this new one but used hominy. I can’t find the recipe anymore… is there a chance you would be willing to have it up on your site or perhaps email/share it please? Thanks!
Hi! This soup called for it and you can access the older version of the soup in the link. Or try my Pinto Posole
WOW just WOW!!! This was incredible!!! I wasn’t sure at first because I am still new to spicier foods but I enjoyed it so much. Only thing I did differently was added more veg and some rice to make it a touch thicker. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Kate,
I plan to cook this recipe tonight but just realized I picked up fresh pasilla peppers from the store instead of dried. Should I plan on drying them before cooking, or will the heat/flavor of the soup be okay with fresh peppers?
Hi! I would try the chili powder variation instead. Let me know what you think!
This is an amazing recipe!!! I made it for a girls trip to North Carolina, 11 girlfriends. Everyone LOVED the Tortilla Soup!!!
My husband and sons love it too!!!
I am gonna make this for dinner tonight. So excited.
The broth this soup yields is wicked. I went the chili powder route, and I think a fresh container of organic spice makes a big difference. I topped with a dollop of Tofutti vegan sour cream. Very good!
I’m glad you love it!
Loved it. I added corn and it was great. Try not to burn your tortilla slices!
This was so good and flavorful. I used chili pepper seasoning. I didn’t make the tortilla strips but just used tortilla chips instead.
I’m glad you liked this tortilla soup, Elizabeth!
This turned out delicious! My modifications: Added more chili powder and cumin than called for, two instead of one bell pepper, one poblano pepper, and a zucchini. No dairy necessary, this is plenty tasty without the added calories. Also ended up not using the cilantro or lime, and I love those things. Will definitely make this again some day!
Great to hear, Adrienne!
The whole family loved this vegetarian option including my picky 3 year old. We topped off our soups with chunks of avocado, chopped red onion, Mexican shredded cheese and jalapeños. Very hearty meal! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Wasima!
Love this recipe. Can I get the one with hominy somewhere? Thanks!
Hi Val, see the link in the post with the original recipe. Enjoy!
You took the hominy out of this recipe???? Why??
Hi Nicole, More information is in the post. I have a link to the original recipe as well. I hope you try this version!
This was amazing! Peppers were way easier to roast on oven than I expected. No changes, just make it.
I’m glad you loved it, K!
I made this last night and it was delectably good. I only did 2 chili pepper and it was plenty spicy for us. Had plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream, kept the cilantro on the side since I knew there would be leftovers and had avocado with it as well. Totally yummy, complex and flavorful. Thank you as I am vegetarian and have been craving Tortilla Soup!!
I saw this recipe on Food Safari on SBS Food. The recipe sounded wonderful and I looked it up on my phone and your recipe came up. I used to subscribe to your emails but had to decline for health reasons because I need to watch potassium levels.
I hope to make it with a few lentils!
such an amazing soup!! so delicious!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Harveen!
This was hit! It was perfect on a cold winter day. I just added corn and it was great! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, KP!
Delicious! I skipped the chili peppers because I have young kids and did Smoked Paprika instead! The flavor was still really amazing and the whole family loved it!
Thank you for sharing, Stacy!
I’m so excited to try this! Have a question…I don’t see hominy listed in the ingredients but it’s mentioned in the comments and I can see what resembles hominy in the pictures. What am I missing? Can you tell me how much hominy to use?
Hi! See the post for the original version as noted. I have a PDF in the link. I hope that helps! I updated it recently.
This was delicious! Made it for my whole family tonight and they loved it as much as I did. It was very easy to make and did not require a lot of time, will definitely be making this again soon :)
I’m happy to hear that, Katherine! Thank you for taking the time to review.
I loved the flavor of this soup, the one issue was the dried guajillo chilis I used didn’t blend all the way and little bits of the dried chili skin/outside were in the soup. I blended it for what I thought was a long time in the food processor. Do you have any advice? Thanks! Love your recipes! :)
Hi! I’m sorry it didn’t blend well. Did it seem to impact the taste? I find little bits, as long as small, aren’t a big deal to the overall soup flavor.
We loved this! Great recipe. I added one chopped zucchini and subbed in chipotle in adobo for the dried chili.
We had a number of Mexican dishes and the soup was the biggest hit. Thank you :)
You’re welcome, Jennie! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Kate how cool I’m going veges and water these days. And feel great. A Mexican flavor and soup sounds great. Thank for the recipe. Btw I’m a Kansas City girl too. Cheers! Lisa S.
These flavors are terrific! As my first go, the soup turned out better than expected but I had a hard time getting a bit of body to the soup. I used a cocotte and left the lid on for half the cook time, which may have thinned it out, but I’m not sure. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to create intrigue and it worked. I’ll try this again and experiment. Definitely recommend following the dried chili version of the recipe for the best flavor.
I love hearing that, Daniel! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I make this all the time as my oh f. I don’t have any food in the house meal. It lasts a few days so I have enough to make it through until I can get toa grocery store. I just keep dried peppers and canned tomatoes and black beans in the cupboard just in case and seriously so easy.
I’m glad you love it, Kristina! Thank you for your review.
Where can I get the version of your recipe with the hominy and jalapeño? I really liked that one and loved hominy.
Hi Rebecca! It’s listed in the post. But here is the link to the original recipe.
By far the most amazing soup I’ve ever made! I added 3-4 tortillas in the blender along with the toasted ancho chili, green & red peppers onions, and garlic it made the blend taste amazing. I also added some adobo all purpose seasoning, garlic and onion seasoning after everything was mixed in the pot. It was absolutely phenomenal. 10 out 10. Thank you so much Kate for this amazing recipe!
How can this soup have over 1,000 milligrams of sodium. I want to make it, but have to watch my sodium intake. How can I lower the sodium in this recipe?
Hi Tonya, you can omit the added salt and be sure to use low sodium or no sodium canned ingredients.
I make this soup all the time.It’s my absolute favorite. Thank you so much for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Emily! I appreciate your review.
Ok, I know this is quite a late review for this recipe, but I have just transferred it to a recipe card because it is just so good. I will say I do every possible shortcut (storebought chips, chili powder, etc) — the base recipe is so good that it doesn’t matter.
This is the soup I am actively excited to make, eat, and eat the leftovers from. I’ve got some in the fridge from dinner last night and I am already ready for lunch :D
This soup comes together in about an hour (I suspect less if you’re a quicker chef than I) and is delicious – highly recommend giving it a try.
I didn’t blend the tomatoes with the roasted peppers. I forgot and just added the tomatoes in with the beans separately. Is it going to taste bad??