Easy Vegetarian Taco Soup Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.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 vegetarian taco soup! It’s a hearty vegetarian main dish, with creative toppings that makes it more of a complete meal.
👩🏻🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Spicy and Creamy
- Super satisfying
- One pot meal
- Easy clean up
- Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly
- Gluten Free
🥘 Ingredients
This easy recipe calls for only a few ingredients – many of which are pantry staples! See details on quantity of each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- Olive Oil, Garlic and Red Onion: These three ingredients form the flavor base for this easy taco soup! Sometimes I like adding diced red bell pepper or yellow bell peppers to add more bulk and flavor to this soup.
- 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 for a shortcut here.
- 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!
🍽 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
(Optional) Make Homemade Tortilla Strips: Spray the tortilla strips/quarters with olive oil spray and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake 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 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.
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 the soup back up to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Serve! Top individual portions with 1/4 cup roasted tomato “salsa”, 1-2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese and a handful of tortilla chips before serving.
The goat 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 goat cheese and the soup – it felt like a fancy take on chips and salsa!
🥗 Is Vegetarian Taco Soup Healthy?
- Low in Calories: This taco soup is lower in fat and calories than the usual tortilla soup, and it’s heartier and more filling. The reduction of oil and increase in fresh ingredients lowers the fat and calories. One serving has only 219 calories.
- Rich in Fiber: Tomatoes are naturally rich in fiber. Fiber helps with digestion, and helps you fell fuller longer which also gives this soup its heartiness.
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Tomatoes are also rich in potassium, vitamin C, and choline which support heart health. They also contain lycopene – a powerful antioxidant!
❓Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! To make in the instant pot: Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot and give it a good stir. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, quick release for the rest. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup and add in your favorite toppings!
Kids love tacos, and they’ll also love this taco soup! They’ll 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.
🧊 How to Store
- In the Fridge: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store all toppings separately. Place in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Note: if you made homemade tortilla chips for your toppings, store those in an airtight container on the counter, not in the fridge).
- In the Freezer: You can batch cook this hearty soup and it makes a great freezer meal for later! Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to an airtight freezer safe container or to freezer bags. It will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then warm on the stove top. You can’t freeze the toppings, so I recommend preparing them fresh the day you want to serve this soup!
👪 Serving Suggestions
There are a variety of ways to serve this 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, 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 meatless taco soup).
📖 Variations
- Vegan Option: 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 heartier add a 15 oz can of drained and rinsed low-sodium black beans, and 1 cup of frozen corn.
- 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!
💭 Expert Tips
- Use a hand blender to blend the soup – if you have a stand blender, it’s best to blend in small batches.
- Try adding corn or beans as additions to this soup.
- 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.
- Freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
🍲 More Soup Recipes!
- Potato Corn Chowder
- Chunky and Hearty Pinto Bean Soup
- Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Tuscan Chickpea Soup
- 20 Healthy Vegetarian Stews
If you have tried this vegetarian taco soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
📋 Recipe Card
Vegetarian Taco Soup with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
Soup:
- ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 2½ cups vegetable broth
Toppings:
- 6 corn tortillas cut into matchstick chips (alternatively use crumbled tortilla chips)
- Olive oil spray
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup goat cheese crumbled
- 30 small yellow or red grape tomatoes
- 6 tbsp Mexican shredded cheese blend
- 1 avocado diced
- Cilantro chopped
- Lime juice
Instructions
Tortilla Strips:
- Spray the tortilla strips/quarters with olive oil spray and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake 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!)
Roasted 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.
The Soup:
- In a big pot over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions using 1/2 Tbsp olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for just a minute or so. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes. Cook down for about five minutes or so, it should thicken a bit.
- Remove from heat, add two cups of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender). Add the remaining 0.5 cups of broth (you can add more if you want a thinner soup) and puree until smooth. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Ideas for Serving:
- Option 1: With Goat Cheese, Roasted Tomatoes, and Tortilla Strips. Top soup with 1-2 Tbsp goat cheese, a handful of roasted tomatoes, and a handful of tortilla strips.
- Option 2: With any combination of these toppings — Mexican Shredded Cheese, diced avocados or guacamole, lime juice, cilantro, diced onions
Notes
- Use a hand blender to blend the soup – if you have a stand blender, it’s best to blend in batches.
- Make sure the oven is preheated before baking the tortilla strips for the ultimate crunch.
- Try adding corn or beans as additions to this soup.
- Use a low sodium vegetable broth.
- 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 5 days, then prepare any toppings you’re using as well as the tortilla strips when you’re ready to serve.
- Freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
