Enjoy a bowl of comforting Tortilla Soup, a plant-based take on the Mexican favorite known as Sopa de Tortilla. It starts with crunchy, lime-tossed organic corn tortilla strips. The soup itself is a savory mix of sautéed onion, garlic, and jalapeño, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and a hint of jackfruit for texture, simmered with organic tomatoes, black beans, and corn in a rich vegetable broth. Top it off with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, creamy avocado, and those crisp tortilla strips for a heartwarming meal that's simply delicious, and packed with plant-based nutrition.
Make the tortilla chips: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2
Stack the tortillas on top of each other on a cutting board. Cut into ¼” strips then transfer them to a large bowl.
3
Add the lime juice to the tortillas and toss very gently to coat the tortillas in the lime juice.
4
Evenly spread out the tortilla strips on the baking sheet, try not to overlap to ensure they get crispy. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt, if desired.
5
Bake for 10 minutes then toss the chips and bake for another 3–5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
6
Make the soup: saute the onions in a large stovetop pot on medium-high heat until they’re translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth as needed to deglaze the pot.
7
Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the garlic and jalapeño, if using. Cook for 60 seconds.
8
Add the jackfruit, ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper, if using. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute, again adding 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth as needed to deglaze the pot.
9
Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
10
Remove from heat, add one tablespoon of lime juice and stir. Taste for additional flavors of choice.
11
Divide tortilla soup into serving bowls and top with cilantro, if using, fresh avocado slices, and tortilla chips.
Chef's Notes
Substitutions For the onion, use yellow or white onion.
Use serrano pepper in place of jalapeño pepper.
Instead of cilantro, use another herb of choice, like parsley or chives.
Tortilla Strip Options If you have 3” tortillas instead of 6” tortillas, use 6 tortillas total to make the tortilla strips. Stack six 3” tortillas on top of each other on a cutting board and cut into ¼” strips before baking.
Instead of organic corn tortillas, use whole-grain tortillas.
If you prefer not to use tortillas but still want some crunch. add crispy chickpeas, kale chips, or tofu.
Flour-Free Add crispy chickpeas, kale chips, or tofu (see Companion Recipes) in place of the tortilla strips.
Prep Ahead Make the tortilla strips ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Storage Store vegan tortilla soup leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to three months.
Ingredients
Tortilla Strips
3organic corn tortillas (6”, cut into ¼” strips, See Chef’s Notes)
2tbsplime juice (freshly squeezed)
2pinchessalt (optional)
Soup
1medium onion (chopped)
3medium garlic cloves (minced)
1medium jalapeño (optional; seeded and minced)
2tspground cumin
1tspchili powder
¼tspsalt (optional)
¼tspground black pepper (optional)
12ozjackfruit (pulled from fresh or BPA-free canned, drained)
14.50ozorganic crushed tomatoes (BPA-free)
14.50ozorganic diced tomatoes (BPA-free)
1 ½cupsblack beans (homemade or BPA-free canned, drained)
Make the tortilla chips: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2
Stack the tortillas on top of each other on a cutting board. Cut into ¼” strips then transfer them to a large bowl.
3
Add the lime juice to the tortillas and toss very gently to coat the tortillas in the lime juice.
4
Evenly spread out the tortilla strips on the baking sheet, try not to overlap to ensure they get crispy. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt, if desired.
5
Bake for 10 minutes then toss the chips and bake for another 3–5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
6
Make the soup: saute the onions in a large stovetop pot on medium-high heat until they’re translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth as needed to deglaze the pot.
7
Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the garlic and jalapeño, if using. Cook for 60 seconds.
8
Add the jackfruit, ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper, if using. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute, again adding 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth as needed to deglaze the pot.
9
Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
10
Remove from heat, add one tablespoon of lime juice and stir. Taste for additional flavors of choice.
11
Divide tortilla soup into serving bowls and top with cilantro, if using, fresh avocado slices, and tortilla chips.
