Vegetarian Taco Soup (Vegan Option Included!)

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This creamy vegetarian taco soup is packed full of rich flavors and is less than 250 calories per serving. This easy tomato based soup is the perfect guilt-free, healthy, cozy comfort food for the entire family!

My husband and I love tortilla soup but we almost never order it when we’re eating out. That’s because most restaurants make tortilla soup with chicken stock, which makes it not really veggie-friendly.

On top of that, most tortilla soups aren’t that healthy because they have tons of added oil, and no veggies. So after searching for a good recipe that would be filling and veggie-friendly, I reinvented tortilla soup into this easy vegetarian taco soup recipe! It’s a hearty vegetarian main dish, with creative toppings that makes it more of a complete meal.

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The best part about this recipe? You can make a giant batch and freeze half of the leftover soup — so it works really well for meal prep and easy dinners. It’s also an easy way to get a ton of veggies in one delicious meal.

On top of that, when you serve it, the cheese makes the soup rich and creamy – kind of like a spicy creamy Mexican tomato soup. The tomatoes are perfectly tart, and the tortilla strips give it a great crunch. I enjoy dipping my tortilla strips in the cheese and the soup – it felt like a fancy take on chips and salsa!

👩🏻‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Spicy, creamy and satisfying
• One pot Mexican meal
• Easy clean up
• Family favorite recipe
• Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly
• Gluten Free
• Super customizable!

🥘 Ingredients

This easy recipe calls for only a few ingredients – many of which are pantry staples and can be found at most grocery stores! See details on quantity of each ingredient and nutrition facts in the recipe card below.

• Olive Oil, Garlic And Red Onion: These three ingredients form the flavor base for this healthy taco soup! Sometimes I like adding diced red bell pepper or yellow bell peppers to add more bulk and flavor to this soup. You can also use white or yellow onion instead of red.
• Spices: I used ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. For a deeper chili flavor, I recommend using ancho chili powder. If you want more heat, increase the cayenne or add your favorite hot sauce. You can also use a packet of taco seasoning mix, or homemade taco seasoning for a shortcut here. To make it at home, try this Old El Paso taco seasoning recipe copycat!
• Crushed Tomatoes And Vegetable Broth: When blended together with the onions and spices, these two ingredients make this delicious soup creamy without any cream! If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, you can probably also use tomato sauce.
• For The Salsa: Olive Oil spray, salt and pepper yellow and/or red grape tomatoes. You can also use store bought salsa for a time saver!
• Toppings: Add your favorite taco toppings into this flavorful soup! Corn tortillas or corn tortilla chips, cheese (goat cheese, cojita cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Mexican cheese, etc. would all work), a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, green onions, avocado slices or guacamole, fresh cilantro, or lime juice!

📖 Variations

• Vegan Taco Soup: All you have to do to turn this into a vegan taco soup recipe is omit the cheese (or use a vegan cheese)! And if you’re using sour cream as a topping, use a vegan sour cream.
• Make it Heartier: If you’d like to make this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe heartier add a 15 oz can of drained and rinsed low-sodium black beans once you’ve blended the soup. Or you can add a 15 oz can of white beans into the soup itself and blend it all together. If you do add beans, adjust the seasonings to taste as you will need more than this recipe calls for.
• Spicy Taco Soup: Add more cayenne and hot sauce into this soup! As much as you like to turn this into a really spicy soup!
• Make It Kid-Friendly: Kids typically enjoy customizing their soup with all their favorite toppings, as well as the added crunch from the tortilla strips. If your kids are sensitive to spice you can decrease the chili powder, and eliminate the cayenne or ladle a few servings into a separate pot and add the spices at the end.

🔪 Instructions

(Optional) Make Homemade Tortilla Strips: Cut tortillas into 1/2 to 1/4 inch strips. Spray the tortilla strips/quarters with olive oil spray and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan.

Bake Tortilla Strips: in a 350F degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. (Mine might have taken a little longer than 10 minutes to get fully crispy). Set aside when done. (You can also just leave them in the turned-off oven to keep them warm and crispy!) Alternatively, you can use store bought tortilla chips.

Roast the Tomatoes: Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan, oven proof dish, or rimmed baking sheet. Spray lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if you use smaller tomatoes), or until the tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. Set aside.

Make The Soup: In a big pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions using 1/2 Tbsp olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for about a minute. Stir in the spices and tomatoes. Cook down for about five minutes. It will thicken as it cooks.

Puree The Soup: Remove from heat, add two cups of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender).

Warm Through and Season: Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth (you can add more if you want a thinner soup) and puree until smooth. Bring this meatless taco soup back up to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Serve! Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top individual portions with 1/4 cup roasted tomato “salsa”, 1-2 tbsp cheese and a handful of tortilla chips before serving.

❓Recipe FAQs

👪 What Do You Eat With Taco Soup?

There are a variety of ways to serve this vegetable taco soup – you can serve it as a side dish for a larger meal, or as a tasty meal all on its own with your personal favorite toppings! It’s a great way to switch up taco night!

Dishes To Serve With This Soup

• A hearty salad
• With Nachos
• Alongside quesadillas (which also are fun for dipping!)
• As an appetizer before serving these tostadas
• With cornbread
• With grilled cheese!

Topping Suggestions

• Crispy tortilla chips
• Your favorite cheese (cojita, Mexican shredded cheese, goat cheese, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Salsa or Pico De Gallo
• Guacamole or diced avocados
• Fresh or roasted corn
• Roasted sweet potatoes (diced into fries or small cubes)
• A mix of beans (black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans would all taste great stirred into this veggie taco soup recipe).

💭 Expert Tips

• Use a hand blender to blend the soup – if you have a stand blender, it’s best to blend in small batches.
• For a more complex broth, toast dry chilies on the stove for a few minutes to amp up their flavors, then re-hydrate in warm water before pureeing them with roasted tomatoes and garlic. 
• Add more water or broth for a thinner soup.
• To meal prep, you can make the soup in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then prepare any toppings you’re using as well as the tortilla strips when you’re ready to serve.

🍲 More Soup Recipes!

• Potato Corn Chowder
• Chunky and Hearty Pinto Bean Soup
• Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup
• Tuscan Chickpea Soup
• 20 Healthy Vegetarian Stews

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