Do you enjoy tortilla soup? It’s one of my all-time favorites! Tortilla soup is fresh and flavorful, earthy and a little spicy. Topped with a big handful of crispy tortilla strips, it’s a light but satisfying meal for lunch or dinner. As a bonus, it tastes even better the next day.
Tex-Mex tortilla soups most often include shredded chicken, but it’s not unusual to find vegetarian tortilla soups in Mexico. I can’t call this recipe fully authentic, though. It’s a delicious variation on classic tortilla soup (Sopa Azteca) that you can make at home any time you get the craving.
In Mexico, you’ll find tons of regional variations and personal preferences for tortilla soup. For this recipe, I added black beans for some heft, as well as a red bell pepper because I love the flavor and texture it provides. I tried to keep the remaining ingredients in line with what you might find in Mexico, but to be honest, I have more personal experience with the Tex-Mex variations I’ve sampled over the years.
This recipe is a fully reworked version of an old tortilla soup recipe on the blog. Perhaps you’ve made that one and enjoyed it, but I tried it again recently and just knew I could build in more flavor along the way. If you want a copy of the original, I’ve saved a PDF of the recipe right here.
This soup is closer to the spin on tortilla soup in my cookbook, Love Real Food, which features an irresistible sweet-and-spicy interplay between sweet potatoes and jalapeño. Give that one a try, too!
Watch How to Make Tortilla Soup
Chili Pepper Options
You have several options when making this soup, which vary a bit in terms of authenticity, ease and ingredient availability. I’ve written options one and three into the recipe below, so you’ll be able to follow the recipe either way. Here they are:
Option 1) Chili peppers + blender (most authentic)
First, we’ll toast the peppers in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor, then we’ll roughly chop them and remove the stem and seeds. Then, we’ll blend the toasted peppers into the canned tomatoes and proceed. This option is great because it’s the most authentic and lends a gorgeous, fiery red color and extra body to the soup.
Option 2) Chili peppers + no blender (my least favorite)
Another option is to toast the peppers, then throw them into the pot with the liquid ingredients to simmer. This is method used for my old recipe, but I don’t like it as much as the other options. The chili pepper imparts some flavor to the soup, but not as much flavor as either of the other options. If you choose this route, simply discard the chili peppers before serving.
Option 3) Chili powder + no blender (easiest option)
This is the simplest option and honestly, it yields delicious flavor. You’ll just need to use fresh chili powder with good flavor. I’ve successfully used Frontier Co-op’s chili powder. This would also be a great time to use a fun specialty chili powder, like chipotle or ancho chili powder. If desired, you can moderate the spice level by using less chili powder in the beginning and adding more, to taste.
More Mexican Recipes to Try
These fresh recipes feature Mexican and Tex-Mex influences. View all Mexican recipes here.
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
- Chilaquiles Rojos
- Pinto Posole
- Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Warm up with a bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, made with black beans instead of chicken. This soup recipe is so fresh and satisfying! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 mild dried chili peppers* or 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted if possible
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow or red onion, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch long, ¼-inch-wide strips
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Garnish options: Thinly sliced and roughly chopped radish, diced ripe avocado, crumbled feta cheese or drizzle of sour cream
Instructions
- If using dried chili peppers, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat or directly over a gas flame with tongs, turning as needed. Toast until fragrant and turning darker all over—this can happen quickly, in just a minute or two. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle, then roughly chop them, discarding the seeds and stem. Combine the canned tomatoes (along with their juices) and chopped peppers in the blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cumin (and chili powder, if using) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato-chili pepper blend (or just plain tomatoes, if going the chili powder route) and cook for a minute, while stirring, to bring out its best flavor.
- Add the beans and broth, and stir to combine. Raise the mixture to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to make the crispy tortilla strips. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until lightly and evenly coated. Bake until the strips are crisp and starting to turn golden, about 8 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway. Set aside.
- Stir most of the cilantro into the soup, reserving a bit for garnish. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Carefully taste the soup, and add more salt if the flavors don’t quite sing (I often add up to ¼ teaspoon salt). Add more lime juice if you’d like a little more zing.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Top with crispy tortilla strips, the reserved cilantro and any additional garnishes of your choice. Leftovers will keep well for up to 5 days; rewarm individual servings and top with garnishes when serving. Or freeze individual portions for several months and add toppings after reheating.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the Black Bean Tortilla Soup with Sweet Potatoes from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas or tortilla chips.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t top with cheese or sour cream.
Dried chili pepper options: Any mild chili pepper will do. Choose from pasilla peppers, ancho peppers, Anaheim (California) peppers, or New Mexico peppers (Chiles del Norte). I have tried this soup with Anaheim and New Mexican chilis and both were quite mild.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Anna
Tried this today, it’s super good. I didn’t use any hot peppers just chilli flakes and used white cheddar because we didn’t have feta.
yum!! my boyfriend loved it too.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Anna!
Kai
This was a great addition to the vegetarian potluck.
Taste and presentation both ( though I added adobo for salt and more cumin for flavor).
Ultimately it was delicious and everyone went back for seconds.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for commenting! I’m glad it was such a hit, Kai.
Jackie L
This recipe looks delicious! I don’t happen to have Dutch oven, would this be possible to make in a crock pot? Thanks
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Jackie! I haven’t made it in a crock pot, but I believe others have tried it. I would still recommend to saute the vegetables as that is where you get the flavor.
Katie
Delicious added some zucchini and capsicum in to bulk out the veges and tasted great. Really easy to make.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Katie!
MEGHAN PALMER
This might be a silly question, but when it says 402 calories / serves 4, does that mena 402 calories per serving, or total? Either way, made this last week and am still eating it. Delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! The nutritional information is per serving and there are 4 servings total. If that makes sense? See more on my nutritional information here:https://cookieandkate.com/nutrition-disclaimer/
Mary
Looooooved this! We are not spice people so I omitted the jalapeños. SO GOOD!! Thank you so much for sharing this! Didn’t even miss the meat.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Mary!
Lynn Sandman
This soup is delicious.
Can seem daunting with the smoked pepper but isn’t at all.
Love that its vegetarian and love the addition of hominy.
Thank you for all these vegetarian recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it!
Katie
Everyone is talking about hominy in this receipe; I don’t see it in the list of ingredients?
Kate
Hi Katie! See the notes in the post. I used it in an older version. That is in a pdf link in the post if you are interested in it.
Caitlin
This has been a favorite around here for years! I triple the cumin and throw in a TBSP and I also only seed 1 jalapeño. Always delicious and reliable!
★★★★★
Brad
Kate, We love this recipe and make it quite often; however, each time I prepare it I wrestle with the poblano/chili pepper distinction and what exactly I am supposed to do with each, depending on which I use. Any way of clarifying that a bit for this forgetful, old and apparently senile man?
Kate
See step 1 & 3. I hope this helps, Brad!
Terry
Gosh I wish I had searched down in the comments before I went shopping. I was also very confused about the dried chili vs “fresh” poblano. I assumed by the ingredients list you were saying we could use a dried chili or dried poblano for seasoning so I didn’t buy either. We love fresh poblanos and now as I’m prepping the soup wish I had bought a fresh one to include. All well, it’ll be better next time!
KatieMc
HI Brad,
I know this is a little late but maybe this will clear things up…you use either a dried chili pepper OR a fresh poblano pepper. If you use the fresh poblano, you follow step #1 (along with the jalapeno). If you use a dried chili pepper, follow step #3 (and only use the jalapeno in step #1).
Kaitlin
Thanks Katiemc, I was confused by the instructions for the peppers as well – your response helped clear it up for me!
Steve
This is my first time to try your recipes. It was easy to make and was full of fantastic flavors. It’s a keeper. I had the leftovers a few nights after I had made it and it tasted even better. Now I’m inspired to try one of your curries.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy this soup inspired you to try more recipes, Steve! Thank you for your review.
Caroline
I love soup but my husband doesn’t. I made this one night and he LOVED it. He even said I could put this in our weekly rotation. I can’t describe how much we love this recipe. I’ve made it for so many people and everyone raves over it. So easy, so tasty, and so filling.
★★★★★
Kate
I appreciate your review, Caroline!
Shelly
Whipped this up for a quick dinner tonight and it was delicious. Didn’t have hominy on hand, so I used frozen corn as a substitute. Didn’t have radishes because my husband snacked on them (I was so disappointed in him, lol). Next time, I’ll hide the radishes!
★★★★★
Bri
I have made this a couple times now and love how easy it comes together. I love the addition of radishes. Also you can’t skip the hominy, it adds a lot of color and texture.
Carol
Can this tortilla soup be frozen?
Kate
Yes, it can! All non-dairy soups freeze well.
Lexie
I’ve been making your recipes for YEARS and many dishes are weekly staples that me and my non-vegetarian fiancé love. This recipe was to die for. In New York City and haven’t been to a restaurant since March. This was on par with anything I could order. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Nina in CLE
Just thought I’d comment here though I haven’t actually made the recipe yet (I WILL, and sooon!) I was in the mood for some great black bean soup with a Mexican bend, so I looked around and saw yours. I love the ingredients here and hominy is definitely present in grocery stores here. But here’s the thing: I just bought your gorgeous, delicious-ness filled cookbook for my (omnivore) sister, of course I looked through the book first (actually wanted it myself but it was a big ‘zero-numbered’ birthday for her and she’d wanted cookbooks so..) and almost salivated right over the photos..Well, I love soup so of course I had to check out those recipes immediately. But of course the cookbook had to be wrapped and packaged (she lives in another state). After a few days I couldn’t get that Tortilla Black bean soup w/sweet potatoes off my mind, so decided to look here to see if you had a similar recipe and, voila, here it is. I live in Cleveland and we are just now starting to get consistently colder weather here so it’s DEF time for black bean soup! This looks so good! I’ll add sweet potatoes to it because BB’s and SP’s are so compatible! Would it be good to use 1 medium sweet pot. or 2 for this recipe? Also if I put in another can of black beans should I reduce some other ingredients or just use a decent sized pot and lastly, I wanted to use adobo sauce instead of the smoked poblano, would a 1/2 cup be a good amount, or less? Know you work pretty hard on perfecting your recipes and I want to respect the integrity while still being a tad creative with things for economic reasons, as I just can’t risk going to Whole Foods for the more interesting ingredients (like dried peppers, which I likely won’t use again) and coming back with other ‘off-list’, way-off-budget, groceries, like for example the Mexican cheese here which sounds awesome.. Let me know on the above substitutions if you get a chance to read this. BTW, w/ the cookbook, I am an all-out dog lover, as is my sis, and one more thing that I know she’ll love as I do is the wonderful shots of very photogenic Cookie her and there. This cookbook (and the recipes there of course) ROCKS! Thanks, Kathryne.
Kate
Hi Nina! Thank you for your excitement! I really think it’s a matter of taste and preference with those adjustments. Increasing the ingredients will lead to a thicker consistency and you may need more liquid to get everything cooked. Without trying it with your adjustments, I can’t say for sure. For the adobo sauce, be mindful as it can be quite spicy so be cautious as you add that.
Kim
I love this soup so much, it’s definitely part of my soup rotation and so nice to have for breakfast or lunch.
Kate, just wanted to share that I adapted this recipe to share with the clients of the food bank I work for and I expect they will love it. We had dried chilies to give out and lots of cans of tomatoes and beans so I simplified the recipe slightly and made bags including all the vegetables and cans with a packet of the spices (I added some smoked paprika too per my usual) so they can make it themselves easily. We showed your lovely photo as an example to sell them and all 30 bags were gone by the 40th car, so it was very popular. Next time I think I’ll try adapting your simplified channa masala (with ground ginger) to give out all those pesky garbanzos stacking up. It’s challenging to think of recipes that fit this model and require no extra equipment, so thanks again for the simple, delicious recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it and were able to adapt it to share with such a large group! I appreciate your review, Kim.
Annie
Absolutely delicious! Left the seeds in jalapenos and substituted hominy with chickpeas. Also added sweet corn because I had it. Thank you for another amazing recipe!!
★★★★★
Meg
This soup is soooo good. I will definitely be making this again. I will say, the original recipe only calls for salt and pepper and that is definitely not enough to season the broth. I seasoned the broth with lots of salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne and it turned out perfect. I also used a guajillo instead of a poblano, not sure if that made a difference in taste but this is definitely a new favorite :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Meg! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Annemarie G
I’ve made a lot versions of tortilla soup but this one was delicious ( and easy to make). I’m saving it and this will be my go to recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for taking the time to review, Annemarie.
Christina
So delicious! I loved it as did my meat eater husband. Normally he just picks at vegetarian soups, but he went back for seconds with this one. This is a keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Christina! I’m glad it was a hit with your husband as well.
Robin Meredith Foster
omg, so good. I made mine in the instant pot. I didn’t have to sautee anything. I waited until the instant pot had finished cooking the dried black beans and added the tofurky and imitation sausage once the rest had cooked.. I also waited to add the hominy which I bought canned. I substitute the tomatoes for a 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes in a 15 oz can of tomato sauce. I added in food process cherry tomatoes. I doubled the cumin. Instead of radishes I dropped in fresh zucchini to the bottom of the bowl. It made it a little bit “fresh”. 4 large corn tortillas in that oven at 400 for about 15 minutes and added some on top. I found vegan feta cheese avocado and cilantro really make it taste great of course the lime. I use the whole poblano and jalepeno. very smoky and red this time.
This version was much better than the version that I made in the Dutch oven or crock pot.
cook time instant pot: 27 mins on high
let steam out after 20 minutes self release.
★★★★★
Lynn
I’ve made this soup several times! It’s so delicious! I love it leftover! Thank you for sharing:)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Lynn! Thank you for your review.
Doodle
What’s the substitution for hominy?
Kate
Hi! You cold use corn intead.
Aryn
New favorite! My boyfriend also loved it. He said “this tortilla soup is phenomenal, better than Mexican restaurants.” saving this one for sure :)
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Aryn.
Mary
I’ve been vegetarian since 1972 (.welcome to the fold!). Always looking for new ideas, especially lately. I’ve seen chicken-based tortilla soup on PBS Create… obviously, that’s not an option for me. Yours is tomato-based. I’m going to use your ingredients except for that… I’ve found that Better Than Buillion brand has very good vegan soup base. The jar doesn’t take up much space in the fridge, and it lasts forever. Haven’t made soup in weeks, I’ve got old corn tortillas needing to be used up… now I’ve got a new recipe. Thanks.
Beth
I see people mentioning hominy in some of the comments but I don’t see it listed in the recipe?
Kate
Hey Beth, I’m sorry for the confusion. The original recipe called for hominy (unusual in a tortilla soup) and I intentionally dropped it in this revised recipe.
Marci Jordan
I make this often, especially when I want something to warm me up. I sometimes substitute frozen corn for the red peppers if I don’t have them in the house. It’s a delicious dish!! And super easy to make!
★★★★★
Emma
Hi Kate! I’ve made this soup before and love it! But am I going crazy or was the hominy removed from the list? I can’t seem to find it in the recipe but remember using it before when I made it. Just curious!
Kate
Hey Emma! I totally reworked the recipe (I’m confident you’ll enjoy this version more than the original) and intentionally dropped the hominy.
Libe Ackerman
This recipe is a staple in my house and like Emma, I thought I was going crazy re: the hominy! We love the hominy at our house, so we’ll prob keep it, though I am looking forward to blending the smoked peppers with the tomatoes. Yum. Thanks for all that you do, Kate.
★★★★★
Althea Thomas
Hi I was going to make this soup, but I don’t have any black beans on hand. Can I substitute corn, white kidney beans, or Northern beans? Those are the only ones I have on hand. Tks
Kate
Hi, You can substitute another type of bean if that’s what you have on hand. I hope you enjoyed it!
Beverly Brinson
This looks great! I live in central Mexico, so I would substitute my own chili powder (Tex-Mex not available here!) and add chipotle for smokiness. I also have started roasting my own tomatoes, similar to your many yummy roasted veggie recipes. I also make my own vegetable broth (throw scraps into the freezer and boil with water and herbs) to reduce the sodium. Often, meat is optional here. For more authentic flavor, try queso fresco or manchego if you can find it.
Bev not-a-vegetarian
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Beverly! I have no doubt your totally-from-scratch tortilla soup would be completely stellar!
Nicole
This was so great, thank you! I did add a bit of paprika, and substituted zucchini for the bell pepper since that was what I had on hand. This was an amazing (and easy) recipe and I will be making it a regular dish in my kitchen :)
★★★★★
Elizabeth Marcus
Love your recipes and Tortilla Soup is one of my favorites so I am eager to try it. When I went to print the recipe, it is different from the one that is profiled in this post (i.e., it calls for hominy, which this one does not). Is it possible that the print button is linked to the old recipe?
Kate
Hi Elizabeth, I’m sorry about that! The old recipe must have been caching. I’ve done everything I can to clear the cache on the print page and I’m seeing the current recipe now. Hope that it’s working for you as well. Thank you for letting me know!
Becky
I’m looking forward to making this. There are a lot of comments regarding hominy but I don’t see it in the ingredients or the recipe. Am I missing it?
Kate
Hey Becky! Good point. The original recipe called for hominy, which is more common in posoles (here’s my take on posole) but rarely used in tortilla soup. For the revised recipe, I intentionally dropped the hominy.
Tiina Kurvi
This was delicious! I’m working on oil-free and salt-free cooking and this recipe had great flavor without either. I used the dried chile mixed with fire roasted tomatoes version. I do think that made the soup. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad! Thanks, Tiina!
Norma Cowan
When you write chili powder, I’m never sure if you mean hot chili powder or the chili powder blend, as used in Chili Con Carne. Please clear this up for me.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Norma, I’m sorry for the confusion. When I write chili powder, I’m always referring to the mild chili powder blend (the most common kind available in U.S. supermarkets).
Norma Cowan
Thank you, Kate, for your reply. Now I know!
I find other recipes confusing for the same reason.
Thanks again for your swift reply. Love your recipes.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, however it looks great
★★★★
Daleberta
Hello Kate. I usually follow a new recipe to the letter, then add my own touches later on. My vegetarian daughter has celiac and dairy disorders, as well as Hashimoto thyroid disease. Corn is also intolerant for her. But I knew that this recipe for Vegetarian Tortilla Soup had good bones and decided to try it. My daughter purchased the peppers, cilantro and onion, to complete the list of what was already in our pantry. As I was prepping the fresh veggies, and the corn tortillas, my laptop decided to have a big hiccup and power off. OOPS, no print-out to follow. Yikes! My 73 year old memory took over and this is what happened:
I used my immersion blender, (since the “real” blender was out of reach to me at this time), to combine the canned fire roasted diced tomatoes and chopped chili peppers with the pot of sautéed onion and red bell pepper. This process became more of a rustic blend rather than being completely smooth. All the other ingredients, except for the garnishes, were “dumped” in the pot as it simmered.
OMG, we loved, loved this soup. Very tasty! We ate our fill and froze the rest for another meal later.
Thank you so much, Kate, for giving me something healthy and so darned good tasting that is also compatible to my daughter’s dietary needs!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Daleberta! I’m happy you were able to enjoy it.
Lisa
Made this recipe exactly as written with the dried Chile peppers (bought on Amazon) and it was delicious! Picky eater approved also. Thanks!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lisa! I’m happy you liked it.
Jennifer
Really love the one from your cookbook. I’ll have to give this one a try. You are truly a soup goddess!
Kate
You’re so kind, Jennifer! Thank you for your review.
Liz Bulf
Delicious soup but my tortilla strips need help; they tasted stale instead of crisp!! Will try again
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use a fresh tortilla? I’m glad you enjoyed the soup.
Lynda
Hi Kate. I would love to try this, but the sodium level is out of sight. Is this a misprint or miscalculation?
Kate
Hi Lynda, please refer to my Nutrition Disclaimer
Nathalie
Delicious and nourishing! I went the simple way, using chili powder.
This is a very different soup. I love that your soup repertoire is so large, we will never get bored, even if the local produce options are quite limited in winter.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Nathalie! Thank you for your review.
Jenny
I made this today and even my vegan food skeptical mom liked it! I used a fresh Fresno chili that I roasted under the broiler. It was an amazing flavor without too much heat (my kids don’t do heat). I also tossed in frozen corn with the beans and broth step. Will absolutely be making this again, and doubling next time – so sad there weren’t any leftovers.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Jenny. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Karen Benson
Made this yesterday and it was delicious, just like every one of your recipes. This was even a big hit with my carnivorous husband. Made it just as shown.
Nathalie
So yummy!!! I went the easy way (used chili powder). I wish I doubled (or tripled) the recipe! No leftovers :((
★★★★★
Dori Brownlow
Delicious! I was stingy on the chili powder and will add more next time. Thanks
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Nina
My daughter Sarah made this today, sooo delicious, made it a bit spicier. Made the bean Pozole on Sunday and I made the lentil soup a week ago. Thank you for the recipes.
We will definitely be making these again and will continue going through your recipes to try some more!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Nina! Thank you for your review.
Domas Sabockis
veery nice
★★★★★
Rebecca
Made this soup last week. Sooo good!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Rebecca! Thank you for your review.
Mika Shapera
Loved the original recipe (with the hominy!) Is there any possibility of being emailed that version?
Kate
Hi Mika! You can access it in the link. Or, send an email to hello@cookieandkate.com
Sarah
Absurdly delicious! The tortilla strips are critical for some crunchy texture, and the overall flavor of the soup is just incredible. Thanks, Kate and Cookie!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Sarah Gotto
I hesitated making this, only because I thought it sounded so similar to vegetarian chili (which I enjoy). I was wrong! This is so tasty and fresh. We went the easy chili powder route, and we added red pepper flakes, an extra red pepper and more cilantro. Topped with avocado and cotjia cheese. Yum! Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Sarah! Thank you for sharing.
Lynn
Was there hominy is this recipe at one time?
Kate
Hi Lynn, it’s in the post. But here is another PDF link.
Liz Shay
Hi! I can’t open the PDF from the original recipe that used hominy and smoky peppers. Is there any way you could please email me a picture of just that recipe?
Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Liz, please try again as it should be working now. Sorry you were having issues!
Rachael
Just made this for dinner tonight and DELICIOUS!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Rachael! Thank you for your review.
Jennifer Denson
Really good, the whole family enjoyed it. I added a bag of frozen corn, and the kids asked for more tortilla strips next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for your review.
Dipali
Your original recipe pdf is not opening. Can I please get a copy. Thank you
Kate
Hi Dipali, Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try again, it should be working. If you are still having issues, email hello@cookieandkate.com
Wendy
This soup was super easy and so tasty that I burned my mouth and kept right on eating! I had a little bit of cabbage in the fridge so shredded that as another crunchy topping. Might add in a jalapeño next time for some more heat — there will definitely be a next time.
★★★★★
Kate
Oh no! I am guilty of that myself too, Wendy. Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you found it that good.
M. Derrick
Wonderful, easy weeknight dinner! Delicious and full of flavors. I added a small bay leaf and more chili powder. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow for lunch!
★★★★★
Kate
It’s delicious leftover, enjoy! Thank you for your review, M. Derrick.
Mindi Hartman
I made the tortilla soup last week and it was absolutely delicious! I used ancho chili powder as I couldn’t easily obtain dried whole chilies of the varieties you mentioned. I will definitely make this again. Again, another hit Kate!
★★★★★
Debbi
Thank you for making my meal planning so easy. This soup is delicious. Subbed a zucchini and some frozen corn for one of the cans of beans and added a little chipotle in adobo sauce. Made the tortilla strips in the air fryer.
Thanks for sharing all of your great recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you were able to use what you had and enjoy it, Debbi! Thank you for your review.
Bob S
Hi Kate – this was absolutely delicious. As an ex-pat living in Puerto Vallarta, vegetarian anything raises eyebrows with the lady who runs my local tienda. She did however point me to the proper dried chilis to use for a full rich flavor, and when I mentioned that the recipe was from a vege site named C&K, she couldn’t stop laughing about a dog named “Galleta”. Thanks as always!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Keilah Gomez
I noticed you changed the recipe and I cannot find the old recipe. Is there anywhere I can access that?
Kate
Hi! See the post of the PDF link for the old recipe. :)
ANJIE
I just made this recipe for my husband tonight. He loves it just like all of the other recipes of yours I’ve made. Thank you so much! Oh and I purchased a digital copy of your cookbook on Amazon.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it and I hope you enjoy my cookbook!
Anna
I have made several of your soup recipes and muffins recipes- so good! Looking forward to trying this one. Will the left overs freeze well?
Kate
Hi! Leftovers should freeze well.
Jacquie Burrows
This soup is incredible! Probably the best tortilla soup I have ever made so thank you. Blending the dried chili peppers with the tomato sauce really enhances the flavour.
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome! Thank you so much, Jacquie.
Chris
Absolutely amazing! I wouldn’t change a thing. I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfect! Thank you!
PS You have been a part of our family’s dinner table most nights of the week for years…I owe you a huge ‘thanks’ for creating healthy recipes that my entire family loves to eat!
Kate
Chris, that’s just fantastic to hear! Thank you for letting me know. Glad this soup was a hit, too. :)
Anne
Hi Kate,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Would some chiles in adobo be a good substitute for the dried chiles? I have some I need to use up & didn’t know if I could just purée them with the tomatoes.
Thanks!
Anne
Kate
Hi Anne! I would suggest my chili powder note. Chilis in adobo could be good, but may be more spicy. If you try it, let me know!
Stephanie Kent
This was delicious!! Two out of 3 boys loved it! (I think my youngest just didn’t want to admit he did!) I kept some of the tomato and pepper (used mild peppers) blend and used it to blend the onion and red peppers as well. Added a can of hominy for more texture and they ate it up! I told everyone I’ll add this to our rotation every two weeks, and my 10 yr old said, No, every two days!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear. Thank you for your review, Stephanie.
Kate Reifers
Love this! Add 1-2 tortillas to the blender when you puree tomatoes! Adds a nice tortilla flavor to the broth! YUM YUM! Love the addition of beans to pump up nutrition.
★★★★★
Maria G
This was so delicious! I added some frozen Trader Joe’s grilled corn. My tortillas tasted kind of stale within a couple of hours so next time I would just use fresh strips of corn tortilla but otherwise magnificent! Thank you for a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Maria! I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup.
Bhairavi Shah
Hi there, you had a tortilla soup recipe that was similar to this new one but used hominy. I can’t find the recipe anymore… is there a chance you would be willing to have it up on your site or perhaps email/share it please? Thanks!
Kate
Hi! This soup called for it and you can access the older version of the soup in the link. Or try my Pinto Posole
Linda
WOW just WOW!!! This was incredible!!! I wasn’t sure at first because I am still new to spicier foods but I enjoyed it so much. Only thing I did differently was added more veg and some rice to make it a touch thicker. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Nikkei
Hi Kate,
I plan to cook this recipe tonight but just realized I picked up fresh pasilla peppers from the store instead of dried. Should I plan on drying them before cooking, or will the heat/flavor of the soup be okay with fresh peppers?
Kate
Hi! I would try the chili powder variation instead. Let me know what you think!
Holly McArdle
This is an amazing recipe!!! I made it for a girls trip to North Carolina, 11 girlfriends. Everyone LOVED the Tortilla Soup!!!
My husband and sons love it too!!!
Santosh
I am gonna make this for dinner tonight. So excited.
Stephanie H
The broth this soup yields is wicked. I went the chili powder route, and I think a fresh container of organic spice makes a big difference. I topped with a dollop of Tofutti vegan sour cream. Very good!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it!
Katie
Loved it. I added corn and it was great. Try not to burn your tortilla slices!
★★★★★
Elizabeth
This was so good and flavorful. I used chili pepper seasoning. I didn’t make the tortilla strips but just used tortilla chips instead.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you liked this tortilla soup, Elizabeth!
Adrienne P.
This turned out delicious! My modifications: Added more chili powder and cumin than called for, two instead of one bell pepper, one poblano pepper, and a zucchini. No dairy necessary, this is plenty tasty without the added calories. Also ended up not using the cilantro or lime, and I love those things. Will definitely make this again some day!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Adrienne!
Wasima Siddiqui
The whole family loved this vegetarian option including my picky 3 year old. We topped off our soups with chunks of avocado, chopped red onion, Mexican shredded cheese and jalapeños. Very hearty meal! Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Wasima!
Val
Love this recipe. Can I get the one with hominy somewhere? Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Val, see the link in the post with the original recipe. Enjoy!
Nicole Rod
You took the hominy out of this recipe???? Why??
Kate
Hi Nicole, More information is in the post. I have a link to the original recipe as well. I hope you try this version!
K swymer
This was amazing! Peppers were way easier to roast on oven than I expected. No changes, just make it.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, K!
Annette Henn
I made this last night and it was delectably good. I only did 2 chili pepper and it was plenty spicy for us. Had plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream, kept the cilantro on the side since I knew there would be leftovers and had avocado with it as well. Totally yummy, complex and flavorful. Thank you as I am vegetarian and have been craving Tortilla Soup!!
★★★★★
Suzanne Purvey
I saw this recipe on Food Safari on SBS Food. The recipe sounded wonderful and I looked it up on my phone and your recipe came up. I used to subscribe to your emails but had to decline for health reasons because I need to watch potassium levels.
I hope to make it with a few lentils!
harveen
such an amazing soup!! so delicious!!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Harveen!
KP
This was hit! It was perfect on a cold winter day. I just added corn and it was great! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, KP!
Stacy
Delicious! I skipped the chili peppers because I have young kids and did Smoked Paprika instead! The flavor was still really amazing and the whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Stacy!
Lori Collins
I’m so excited to try this! Have a question…I don’t see hominy listed in the ingredients but it’s mentioned in the comments and I can see what resembles hominy in the pictures. What am I missing? Can you tell me how much hominy to use?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! See the post for the original version as noted. I have a PDF in the link. I hope that helps! I updated it recently.
Katherine
This was delicious! Made it for my whole family tonight and they loved it as much as I did. It was very easy to make and did not require a lot of time, will definitely be making this again soon :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Katherine! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Laura
I loved the flavor of this soup, the one issue was the dried guajillo chilis I used didn’t blend all the way and little bits of the dried chili skin/outside were in the soup. I blended it for what I thought was a long time in the food processor. Do you have any advice? Thanks! Love your recipes! :)
★★★★
Kate
Hi! I’m sorry it didn’t blend well. Did it seem to impact the taste? I find little bits, as long as small, aren’t a big deal to the overall soup flavor.
Jennie
We loved this! Great recipe. I added one chopped zucchini and subbed in chipotle in adobo for the dried chili.
We had a number of Mexican dishes and the soup was the biggest hit. Thank you :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jennie! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa
Kate how cool I’m going veges and water these days. And feel great. A Mexican flavor and soup sounds great. Thank for the recipe. Btw I’m a Kansas City girl too. Cheers! Lisa S.
★★★★★
Daniel
These flavors are terrific! As my first go, the soup turned out better than expected but I had a hard time getting a bit of body to the soup. I used a cocotte and left the lid on for half the cook time, which may have thinned it out, but I’m not sure. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to create intrigue and it worked. I’ll try this again and experiment. Definitely recommend following the dried chili version of the recipe for the best flavor.
★★★★★
Kate
I love hearing that, Daniel! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Kristina
I make this all the time as my oh f. I don’t have any food in the house meal. It lasts a few days so I have enough to make it through until I can get toa grocery store. I just keep dried peppers and canned tomatoes and black beans in the cupboard just in case and seriously so easy.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Kristina! Thank you for your review.
Rebecca
Where can I get the version of your recipe with the hominy and jalapeño? I really liked that one and loved hominy.
Kate
Hi Rebecca! It’s listed in the post. But here is the link to the original recipe.
Joselyn
By far the most amazing soup I’ve ever made! I added 3-4 tortillas in the blender along with the toasted ancho chili, green & red peppers onions, and garlic it made the blend taste amazing. I also added some adobo all purpose seasoning, garlic and onion seasoning after everything was mixed in the pot. It was absolutely phenomenal. 10 out 10. Thank you so much Kate for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Tonya Thompson
How can this soup have over 1,000 milligrams of sodium. I want to make it, but have to watch my sodium intake. How can I lower the sodium in this recipe?
Kate
Hi Tonya, you can omit the added salt and be sure to use low sodium or no sodium canned ingredients.
Emily Tinnin
I make this soup all the time.It’s my absolute favorite. Thank you so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Emily! I appreciate your review.
Avery
Ok, I know this is quite a late review for this recipe, but I have just transferred it to a recipe card because it is just so good. I will say I do every possible shortcut (storebought chips, chili powder, etc) — the base recipe is so good that it doesn’t matter.
This is the soup I am actively excited to make, eat, and eat the leftovers from. I’ve got some in the fridge from dinner last night and I am already ready for lunch :D
This soup comes together in about an hour (I suspect less if you’re a quicker chef than I) and is delicious – highly recommend giving it a try.
★★★★★