The Art of Soups & Stews is a monthly recipe column that explores the world of vegan soups and stews. Written by Best of Vegan contributor Devorah Bowen, this column is a treasure trove of satisfying, comforting, cost-effective, and low-waste vegan soup and stew recipes that are sure to delight your taste buds. In today’s article, Devorah shares her recipe for a Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Soup.
Table of Contents
About This Hearty Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Soup
Filled with bold flavors and a mix of fresh vegetables this soup is both delicious and satisfying. It’s the best of Summer flavors that utilize vegetables like fresh squash, zucchini and tomatoes. The two things that stand out and make this soup special are the bold rich flavors from first roasting the vegetables and the mix of chili powders.
It’s also the wonderful textures created by adding fried tortilla strips, creamy avocado, and tangy crema. The soup is easy to make in a variety of ways. This version has added hearty beans for protein which can also be swapped for things like jackfruit or soy curls. Make it during the Summer months to use up fresh garden vegetables or enjoy it any time of the year with in season veggies and a blend of canned and frozen options.
What You’ll Need To Make This Tortilla Soup
- Plum Tomatoes
- Pinto Beans
- Onion
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Garlic
- Vegetable Vegan Chicken Broth
- Oil (such as Olive Oil)
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Guajillo Pepper
- Ground Ancho Chili Pepper
- Cumin Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Lime Juice
- Tortillas
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Avocado
- Fresh Cilantro chopped
- Vegan Crema (vegan sour cream mixed with lime juice and salt)
- Limes
How to Make This Tortilla Soup
Step one: prepare the vegetables
Prepare the vegetables for roasting by cutting the tomatoes into quarters, the squash and zucchini into half rounds and cutting off the top of the head of garlic. Place all of the vegetables onto a lined baking sheet. Nestle the head of garlic cut side up in between the vegetables and drizzle everything with a bit of oil. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with 1 tsp each of the thyme and oregano. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are nicely browned and tender.
Step two: let the vegetables cool down
Once the vegetables are done, allow them to cool. Reserve about 1/2 cup each of the onions and tomatoes and 1/4 cup each of zucchini and squash. (You will be adding it back to the soup once everything is blended).
Step three: start cooking the vegetables and spices
In a large pot heat 1Tbsp of oil on medium heat. Squeeze out the cloves of roasted garlic into the heated oil along with the remaining 1 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp of oregano. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the roasted vegetables (not including the ones you reserved) and add in the cumin, guajillo chili and ancho chili powders. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes for everything to blend together. Add in the broth and simmer covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.
Step four: blend the tortilla soup and add the beans and corn
Blend the soup with either an immersion blender or regular blender until everything is smooth. Add in the corn and beans. Give the reserved roasted vegetables a rough chop and add them to the blended soup. Allow everything to heat through for another 15-20 minutes.
Step five: make the tortilla strips
While the soup is simmering make the tortilla strips. Heat the oil in a skillet or pot with high walls. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, add in a few tortilla strips at a time and cook until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) flip and cook the other side until browned. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt while hot.
Step six: serve and enjoy the tortilla soup
Serve up a bowl of the soup with fried tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, crema, cubed avocado and lime wedges.
Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Soup Recipe Card
Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 8 Plum Tomatoes
- 15.5 oz 439g Pinto Beans
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 Medium Zucchini
- 1 Medium Yellow Squash
- 1 head of Garlic
- 4 cups Vegetable Vegan Chicken Broth
- 2 Tbsps Oil - such as olive oil
- 2 tsp Thyme
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp ground Guajillo Pepper
- 1 tsp ground Ancho Chili Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Juice from 1/2 a small Lime
Toppings:
- 4 small Tortillas cut into strips
- 1/3 -1/2 cup of vegetable oil for frying
- 1 Avocado cubed
- 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup Vegan Crema - vegan sour cream mixed with 2 tsp lime juice and pinch of salt
- 1-2 limes cut into wedges to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables for roasting by cutting the tomatoes into quarters, the squash and zucchini into half rounds and cutting off the top of the head of garlic. Place all of the vegetables onto a lined baking sheet. Nestle the head of garlic cut side up in between the vegetables and drizzle everything with a bit of oil. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with 1 tsp each of the thyme and oregano. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are nicely browned and tender.
- Once the vegetables are done, allow them to cool. Reserve about 1/2 cup each of the onions and tomatoes and 1/4 cup each of zucchini and squash. (You will be adding it back to the soup once everything is blended).
- In a large pot heat 1Tbsp of oil on medium heat. Squeeze out the cloves of roasted garlic into the heated oil along with the remaining 1 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp of oregano. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the roasted vegetables (not including the ones you reserved) and add in the cumin, guajillo chili and ancho chili powders. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes for everything to blend together. Add in the broth and simmer covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup with either an immersion blender or regular blender until everything is smooth. Add in the corn and beans. Give the reserved roasted vegetables a rough chop and add them to the blended soup. Allow everything to heat through for another 15-20 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering make the tortilla strips. Heat the oil in a skillet or pot with high walls. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, add in a few tortilla strips at a time and cook until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) flip and cook the other side until browned. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt while hot.
- Serve up a bowl of the soup with fried tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, crema, cubed avocado and lime wedges.
Equipment
Recipe, text, and photography by Devorah Bowen
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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoyed this Vegan Tortilla soup, you might also like this Loaded Vegan Potato Soup. Click here for the recipe.
Also check out:
- Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
- Vegan Pistachio Ricotta Pasta Shells
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup
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I made this soup this weekend and can’t wait to make it again! So delicious and flavorful.
This looks so delicious I’m gonna give it a go tonight. 🌱
We hope you’ll love it 💚