I wanted to come up with a Vegan Tortilla Soup that would satisfy everyone in the family – vegans, vegetarians and the eat everything folks. The recipe for the actual soup base is a vegan recipe and can be adapted to all eating styles by adding different toppings served on the side of the soup.
This soup is great with a sprinkling of feta cheese, cilantro and corn strips. My husband loves to load it with smoked chicken, cilantro and tortilla strips.
I tagged this recipe as adventurous because it is not quite as quick as my other recipes. The stock can be made from scratch or to simplify the recipe, you can use a box of vegetable or chicken stock of your choice. Although it would be easier to use store bought stock, the one from scratch only takes about 45 minutes and can simmer while you prepare everything else, so I would opt for the scratch version to get the most robust flavor.
This recipe was adapted and simplified from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.
Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
You can make the stock while preparing the rest of the soup ingredients.
Ingredients
Soup Stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, yellow or red
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 stalks of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks of celery, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled whole
- Stems from 1 bunch of cilantro
- 8 sprigs of fresh parsley
- 2 quarts water
- 2 teaspoons salt
Soup
- 2 quarts vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 4 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or boxed
- 1 whole chipotle in adobo sauce with 2 spoonfuls sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Garnishes
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 avocado, chopped into chunks
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or cojita cheese
- 1 lime, cut into quarters
- Rotisserie chicken – I love the smoked chicken from Whole Foods
- 3 small corn tortillas
- 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Red Stock
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot then add onions, carrots and celery and cook for 8 minutes or until they begin to brown. Then add herbs and stir.
- Stir in tomato paste then add the cilantro, parsley, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to cook for 45 minutes.
Soup
- Preheat broiler.
- Place onions, garlic and jalapeños on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush vegetables with the olive oil then place under the broiler, 7-inches from the flame, for 4-5 minutes or until starting to brown. Flip vegetables to cook on other side.
- You will probably have to remove the garlic and jalapeños first then let the onions continue to cook a few more minutes.
- Place these vegetables, chipotle and tomatoes into a blender and mix until very smooth.
- Pour the pureed mixture into a deep soup pan and cook until it thickens slightly. Turn heat off until red s tock is finished cooking then reheat the puree, strain stock into the puree mixture, stir and continue to cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Stir in chopped cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with all of the garnishes on the side.
Tortilla strips
- Cut 3 corn tortillas into thin strips, approximately 1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.
- Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet, when hot, add the tortilla strips in a single layer. Toss to cook on both sides. Remove when golden and crunchy.
- Place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Notes
Ways to simplify this recipe:
• use store bought stock
• buy rotisserie chicken for garnish
• use store bought tortilla chips for topping soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop, broiler
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: tortilla soup, soup, vegan
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