Name: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 bell pepper, diced; 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes; 8 cups vegetable stock; 1 4 ounce can of diced green chilis; 3/4 cup white quinoa, rinsed and drained; 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; juice, 1 lime; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more for extra spicy; 6 corn tortillas (if making tortilla crisps); Top with: avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, green onion, or toppings of choice

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Swap the chicken for quinoa in this healthy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Recipe! Quinoa is high in fiber and protein and makes a great non-meat alternative in this spicy Mexican soup.

If you’ve been a blog reader for awhile, you know I’m a soup lover. A few years ago, I shared a new soup recipe every single Sunday. If that isn’t commitment, I don’t know what is. I love soups because they’re amazing for meal prep! Make a big batch of this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe on the weekend and enjoy all week long.

I also believe that soups are one of the easiest recipes to make for people of any cooking level. Mostly because you really can’t go wrong. Even if the measurements aren’t 100% perfect, there’s a pretty good chance your soup will turn out anyway… unless you accidentally add cinnamon instead of cumin – been there…done that!

Here’s What You Need:

This vegetarian tortilla soup recipe is actually super easy to make and uses fresh ingredients mixed with pantry staples:

olive oil
vegetables – yellow onion, garlic cloves and a bell pepper.
pantry staples – diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, diced green chiles, white quinoa, black beans and corn kernels.
seasonings and spices – chili powder, cumin, sea salt and pepper.
lime juice
fresh cilantro
corn tortillas – for making crispy tortilla strips
optional toppings – avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro or green onion.

Why quinoa?

I love using quinoa in vegetarian and vegetarian dishes because it’s an amazing source of plant-based protein! It contains all nine essential amino acids and adds a hearty texture to the soup. I always try to get a mix of protein, fiber and fat in my meals and this soup packs in all three thanks to the vegetables, quinoa and beans, and avocado.

Make This Soup Your Own

If you’re like me, you’ve been auditing your pantry and trying to meal plan from what you have! I want to encourage you to get creative in the kitchen and make this soup your own! Here are a few suggestions:

Use whatever canned beans you have – don’t let a lack of black beans confine you
No vegetable stock? Replace with water or any kind of stock
Throw in whatever veggies you have – seriously! This soup is super forgiving.
No tortillas? Just use whatever chips you have on hand or skip them entirely

Feel free to get creative! That’s what cooking is about.