Let’s just all admit that it’s weird that I made soup. Hot soup. I didn’t even have the decency to make cold soup. It’s heat hot, it’s spicy hot, it’s just all up in your face hot… smack-dab in the middle of summer.
Some nerve, really.
I need to openly admit that I really miss (I mean… really miss) California Mexican food. I’ve made so many obscure tacos in my kitchen I might as well buy a taco truck and call it a career.
This soup is SO GOOD! It’s like eating the soup version of a vegetarian enchilada… in a bowl, with a mega amount of fresh toppings! If you’re looking to beat the heat, may I suggest enjoying this soup while sitting in front of your open refrigerator?
No?
Well.. fine then.
Here’s how this goes: lots of chopping.
I start with the tortillas (into rectangle-like strips), move on to yellow bell pepper, try not to kill myself by slicing a jalapeño, measure out the spices, mince the garlic (why do I haaate this!?), and finish with a quick chop of the onion. Onion last. Those things can be spicy on the eyes.
This recipe calls for a large can of diced tomatoes. I picked up a can of the fire-roasted diced tomatoes and loved the results. Extra toasty!
For spices we’re adding paprika, cumin, coriander (which comes from the cilantro plant!), chili powder, and cayenne. These create a wonderful balance of smoke and spice.
Black beans for flavor and protein… and also because sometimes I’m just too lazy to cook chicken.
Even though this soup is labeled vegetarian, I used chicken broth. I love the flavor. I hate cooking chicken. There you have it.
The onions and garlic are cooked down with the canned tomato. I added the chicken broth and took an immersion blender to the mixture, creating a somewhat smooth soup base. Then the peppers, and beans are added. Some smooth. Some chunky.
Tortilla soup is nothing without its toppings.. namely, fried tortillas!
I also love all of the fresh ingredients we add to the hot soup: radish, cilantro sprigs, and avocado bring the crunch and bring the creamy.
Cheese, too… and sour cream. Let’s just go all the way.
Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: dinner
Description
A Sweater Weather kind of dinner with loads of delicious toppings
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 corn tortillas, stacked and sliced into small strips
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, juice and all
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, depending on your taste
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into small chunks or fresh corn sliced from 2 ears of corn
- 1 small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and thinly sliced
For the Topping:
corn tortillas (fried above)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
ripe avocado, sliced
sharp cheddar cheese, grated
sour cream
Instructions
In a large, heavy bottom pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips in two batches, flipping and frying until crisp. Drain crisp strips on a paper towel and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium heat and add onions. Cook until translucent and just browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add paprika, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the crushed tomatoes, juice and all. Stir to combine. Add the chicken broth, salt, and a good sprinkling of black pepper. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until halfway to smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully spoon the mixture into a blender to blend until smooth. Return back to the pot (if using conventional blender) and heat over low heat.
Add beans, bell pepper (or corn), and jalapeño and lightly simmer until bell pepper is softened, about 20 minutes.
To serve, spoon into bowls and top with fried tortilla strips, slice radish, fresh cilantro sprigs, a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, a few slices of avocado, and sour cream.
Soup will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
62 Responses
My bestie and I made this last night. We’ve been cooking your recipes together for about ten years. The soup was fabulous. Thank you again joy.
What is it about February, I always come back to this soup? :)
Made this last night and it was delicious! Thank you for posting! <3 <3 Long time follower and first time commenter
One of my absolute fave soup recipes. Don’t pass this up, y’all! I add little zucchini chunks because i’m a zucchini junkie. Thanks for the best recipes as always, Joy!
This soup gives me such fond memories of the beautiful food of Santa Fe, New Mexico…kudos to the radishes, cilantro, and most definitely, some lime juice! The colors!! So harmonizing! Lovely!
I just made this, and it is literally the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had, by far!! Amazing! I’m not usually one for radishes, but I decided to try them out and it was delicious! Definitely don’t skimp on any of the toppings. So good!
What a super recipe. Thank you! I tried making this today, and it was absolutely fantastic! I also used adobo peppers in chipotle sauce for an additional smokey kick. I skipped the jalapenos and cayenne powder though, just so it wouldn’t burn a hole through my GI!! PS: I used regular tortilla chips, and they worked just fine too.
You know, it looks like Tom Yam…Maybe it is Asia that effect on me :-)
Made this last night. Perfect for a “chilly” NOLA night. The color of this soup is absolutely incredible!
For some reason, I had it on my mind all day today that I would make tortilla soup for dinner tonight, and remembered the recipe you posted a few months back. Low and behold I followed through and went to the grocery store after work to pick up the few ingredients I didn’t already have on hand and whipped up a batch (https://instagram.com/p/ueYlShjI5H/?modal=true) . It was so delicious and so easy. Thanks so much for the share!
-E
Oh my goodness this was delicious. Doubled the recipe for a housefull of people and everyone loved it. We left out the radishes and sour cream, but the avocados were definitely necessary…also added juice of one lime for some zing. We also skipped blending it so it was just extra chunky, still awesome :) thanks so much for the recipe!
sounds fantastic!!
It’s a delicious soup, but just to be picky, it’s not vegetarian if made with the chicken broth the recipe calls for.
I find it near impossible to eat soup when it’s hot. (And, boy, has it been HOT!) But, oh, there is something about this beautiful bowl of goodness. It honestly seems summer-y! Maybe it’s the radishes? Anyway….yeah, I have to eat that.
p.s. My mom bought me this contraption called a NexTrend Garlic Twist. It totally beats chopping garlic and it’s easy to clean!
Yet another post that looks so yummy! :)
I made this last night and it was delishhh and just the thing for the cool, rainy day we had in Seattle yesterday. I used fresh corn instead of the bell pepper and added some small-diced zucchini that I needed to use up. So, so good. Thankya!
This soup looks really good! My boyfriend loves spicy food and we also love tortilla. So, thanks for this great recipe! I will give it a try the next days. I really enjoy reading your blog, thanks!
It’s winter here in NZ and this soup hit the spot. I used beans canned in a chilli sauce and just poured the whole thing into the soup. Also skipped the capsicum, and it still tasted amazing!
I love your words, Joy! The narration through the recipe is such a nice dance. It’s winter here in Australia so I say THANK YOU, you totally just made this for us. Selfless x
I LOVE tortilla soup! And I totally feel you about the whole california and mexican food thing… I don’t think I would survive if I would have to move away… And soup, I’m a total soup person, I will eat soup for breakfast and dessert :D
JOY! California and all of it’s Mexican cusine will always be here waiting for you with open arms!!
Even if it’s blisteringly hot outside, this looks delicious!
Good Mexican restaurants are few and far between here in New Orleans — BUT Panchita’s on Carrollton Ave. is GREAT for authentic Mexican food! There’s also Maïs Arepas on Carondelet St. that has really good Colombian food. For Americanized tacos there’s the Taceaux Loceaux food truck, that has ah-mazingly good tacos. Aaaand if you’re feeling fancy and want to travel to the West Bank, La Providencia has good Mexican food too. Hope that helps!! Oh and if you ever need a new friend date I’m always down for tacos! ;)
Joy, looks like you had to redeem yourself after those chocolate dipped potato chips!! ; )
Made this for dinner and it was to die for! Mmm everyone loved it! Thank you!
Yea vegetarian stuff! Nothing like spicy stuff in the summer to create the perfect excuse for a margarita. Solely for cooling purposes, of course.
I looove the fresh ingredients: the cilantro and the radish especially. They really seem to bring it over the top. This whole dish looks amazing! :)
I really missed good tacos also, but then when I moved to New Orleans, I found the taceaux loceaux truck (the brisket taco is so good!).
This soup looks so good! I love all the toppings. Thanks!
YAY for this soup! As a vegetarian, Mexican food nut, who lives in the (never too hot for soup) UK, this soup can be all up in my face hot, all the day long! YAY (again)
I never complain about soup being all up in my face…you’re doing it right!
I hhhhhhhhhhate mincing garlic too…..I could eat garlic at every meal in embarrassingly copious amounts, but the work it takes……ugh!
Why not? Especially when it looks so good and inviting.
This looks yummy! I’m loving the touch of avocado, and I think your photography is fab! How have I only just found you?! x
Love a good tortilla soup. Cheese is necessary. Absolutely beautiful shots!
I love tortilla soup and your variation sounds great! Another one for the weekend!
http://www.clementinebuttercup.blogspot.co.uk
I don’t care how hot it is, I always love this type of soup! Looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it :)
https://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Some people might think it’s crazy, but I actually make soup pretty often in the nola summertime. This looks like a great one I’ll be able to make for a vegetarian friend who’s moving back in a few weeks. Thanks for the great idea.
There’s only one word for this soup – AWESOME!! Pinning this immediately !
Yum! I’ve been in a soup mood lately. Probably because it’s been in the sixties here in Michigan (!!!). I’ll definitely be trying this out!
xoxo
Taylor
I am terrified of chopping jalapeños and have developed various methods to keep them from getting on my fingers. I need to just cave in and by some gloves, because I wind up getting some juice in my eye, every time. Often hours later (how?!).
Also, a garlic press is the only unitasker in my kitchen, because mincing… ugh.
I haven’t had tortilla soup since going vegetarian so I am so excited to give this a try!
Sounds lovely :)
L x
http://workingmumy.blogspot.com
I am a complete weirdo and eat hot soup when it’s hot out, maybe I’m getting soup from a soup truck tonight for dinner, YOLO!
Tortilla soup is a favorite at our house, and my husband will think he’s died and gone to heaven when I put radishes on top!
I’ll eat hot soup all year ’round! No complaints from me! Plus, my garden is overflowing with radishes. They’re actually pushing themselves out of the ground and telling me to eat them. And I’m like ‘where are all the rabbits??? I need help eating all of these.’
xo
I love Mexican food, and think I could rival you for obscure tacos although I’d be willing to put the rivalry aside to set up a taco van with you. It’s on my dream job list. This soup has a lot of texture going on and with that I think we can excuse it’s hotness. Did you try it cold, or did it go too quickly?
put an avocado on it and i’m in for anything! also if you hate mincing garlic (as i do) why not get a garlic press. one of those self cleaning jobbies. cleaning one more small appliance > dread of mincing garlic
YUM. We’re currently without AC in the Texas heat, so this is a no-go until that gets fixed (hopefully soon!), but then this is happening! You had me at enchilada in a bowl…
This soup is to die for, looks delicious! Here in Buffalo, we are famous for wings AND having no decent Mexican food! And I read people who eat spicy food eat less and eat healthier overall, wonder if that’s true?
This sounds YUM! Tortilla soup isn’t really a thing in Australia. I’ve seen it on other blogs and cooking shows. This looks so great. Especially since it’s FREEZING here!
Thanks Joy.
gahhhh I love it, I’ve pinned it for autumn because I agree with you about eating in front of an open fridge at the moment. I’m also totally in the same camp as you with chicken broth, I love vegetarian recipes and food, but sometimes only chicken broth will do. I’m really looking forward to making this, fingers crossed it will satisfy my Mexican food cravings too :D
it will totally satisfy those cravings! count on it!
You totes nailed it JTB. It’s winter here and I’d love that right now! Can’t wait to try it.
perfect!!
I love spicy, hot, make-you-sweat soup. I love that it’s vegetarian, and spicy, and I’d love to sweat to a bowl of this :)
i’m looking at your lovely, perfect, ripe avocado. and then i’m looking down at my breakfast avocado. and i’m not happy.
if it makes you feel any better, that avocado cost me an arm and a leg (not literally).
love all the ingredients together!! looks so delicious!
x
laura&nora
I feel ya on the california mexican food. I moved away last year and miss it dearly. Luckily im vacationing there this week and am going to eat mexican everyday. And ill make this soup when i get back to the land of terrible mexican food.
yum! this looks super delicious! and who cares that it’s a hot soup when it’s got those mazing Mexican flavors running through it! beautiful photos!
Even when it is boiling hot, I still want soup at night time. I have a weakness for Mexican food; by you making it meatless is a bonus for the veggie lover in me. lovely!