This Vegan Tortilla Soup uses chickpeas to create a super flavorful and warming dish that's filling enough for a meal! Use the Instant Pot to get this on your table in under 30 minutes!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Instant Pot or Stovetop - This recipe is so versatile! Make it quick in the instant pot or let it slowly simmer on the stove! Either way is incredible.
- Done in less than 30 minutes - Using canned beans and corn makes vegan tortilla soup come together so quickly. Even on the stovetop, this only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish!
- Crowd Favorite - Everyone loves this recipe! Pair it with some Mexican Street Corn Dip or even a Cowboy Caviar Dip!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Corn Tortillas - What is a vegan tortilla soup without tortillas?? I cute small corn tortillas into long strips for frying. However, you can also buy pre-fried strips or just use tortilla chips!
- Vegetable Oil - Use this or another neutral oil for frying and sautéing
- Carrot & White Onion - If needed, a yellow or sweet onion can be used in place of white onion.
- Jalapeño - Be sure to remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. I used ½ of a pepper, but use more if you like it spicier!
- Corn, Black Beans, Chickpeas - These came straight out of a can for the quickest results! If you would like to cook your own beans and corn, feel free to do so!
- Vegetable Broth - Regular or low-sodium or use vegetable bouillon mixed with water. If you don't have any broth, heavily salted water will work!
- Salsa Verde - Mild or spicy.
- Mild Rotel - I used the fire roasted version, but any variation of rotel will work! Use spicy if you like it hot.
- Vegan Sour Cream - This can be a bit hard to find so you can always use vegan cream cheese or vegan yogurt in its place. You could also make your own cashew cream and mix it with lemon juice.
- Garlic Powder, Chili Powder - Chili powder can pack a lot of heat, so be careful in the amount you use.
- Cilantro, Avocado, Lime - For garnishing! Feel free to add or omit any of these ingredients.
How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Begin by peeling and dicing a large carrot, dicing ½ a white onion, and de-seeding and dicing a jalapeño.
Next, use a can opener to open the corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain these each out and rinse well.
Step 2: Sauté & Pressure Cook
Turn your Instant Pot on to the Sauté setting and allow it to heat up for about 1 minute.
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
Once pot and oil are heated, add diced onion, carrot, and jalapeño and sauté until soft and onions are translucent
Once soft, add ½ cup of drained chickpeas, ½ cup of rinsed black beans, and ½ cup of drained corn kernels.
Add 1 can of rotel.
Stir to combine. Then, slowly add in vegetable broth.
Mix in the chili powder and garlic powder, as well as the salsa verde.
Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to 'sealing.' Pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute. (It will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure.)
Once the 1 minute timer goes off, press CANCEL and then let the pressure release naturally (meaning don't do anything) for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Fry the Tortillas
While the soup is cooking in the Instant Pot, heat up at least ⅔ cup of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven or cast iron.
If you haven't already, slice street taco sized corn tortillas into long strips.
Wait for the oil to heat up, then drop the strips into the hot oil and use a fork or spatula to gently move them around so they aren't touching.
Once lightly golden, immediately remove the strips from the oil using a spatula or a slotted spoon.
Place the strips on a wire cooling rack with paper towels underneath to absorb oil.
Immediately sprinkle the hot tortilla strips with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Step 4: Finishing Touches
After the natural pressure release, flip the valve to 'venting' to release any remaining pressure, then remove the lid once the floating pin drops.
Stir the soup and add remaining chickpeas (optional).
TIP: If the soup is thinner than you would like it to be after removing the lid, press 'sauté' and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Take 1 tablespoon of the vegan sour cream (or alternative) and mix into the soup until it becomes creamy.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with more vegan sour cream, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, avocado slices, and more!
How to make this recipe on the stovetop
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Begin by peeling and dicing a large carrot, dicing ½ a white onion, and de-seeding and dicing a jalapeño.
Next, use a can opener to open the corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain these each out and rinse well.
Step 2: Sauté Vegetables
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot.
Once the pot and oil are heated, add diced onion, carrot, and jalapeño and sauté until soft and onions are translucent.
Once soft, add ½ cup of drained chickpeas, ½ cup of rinsed black beans, and ½ cup of drained corn kernels.
Add 1 can of rotel.
Stir to combine. Then, slowly add in vegetable broth.
Step 3: Simmer
Bring the heat up to a simmer.
Mix in the chili powder and garlic powder, as well as the salsa verde.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Fry the Tortilla Strips
While the soup is simmering, heat up at least ⅔ cup of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven or cast iron.
If you haven't already, slice street taco sized corn tortillas into long strips.
Wait for the oil to heat up, then drop the strips into the hot oil and use a fork or spatula to gently move them around so they aren't touching.
Once lightly golden, immediately remove the strips from the oil using a spatula or a slotted spoon.
Place the strips on a wire cooling rack with paper towels underneath to absorb oil.
Immediately sprinkle them with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder, then let them cool.
Step 5: Finishing Touches
After the soup has simmered, lower the heat and add the remaining chickpeas to the soup and stir.
Take 1 tablespoon of the vegan sour cream (or alternative) and mix into the soup until it becomes creamy.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips, lime wedge, and vegan sour cream.
Expert Tips and Tricks:
- Don't want to fry your own tortillas? Just buy some tasty tortilla strips or crumble some tortilla chips!
- Make this a spicy vegan tortilla soup by simply increasing the amount of jalapeño and chili powder. You can also use a spicy salsa verde.
- If you want to add some protein to this, I would suggest sautéing some seasoned tofu on the side and then adding it to the top OR adding plant-based chicken strips or rotisserie chicken (shredded) directly to the soup while simmering!
Recipe FAQs
Tortilla soup is best served with lots of garnishes like avocado, lime, cilantro, and more! It goes very well with a salad or as an appetizer to some tacos!
This vegan tortilla soup will last for up to a week when stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
As long as you use corn tortilla, this soup is vegetarian, vegan, AND gluten-free!
Related Recipes
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Vegan Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Large Pot
- Dutch oven or Cast Iron
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Can Opener
Ingredients
- 2 Corn tortillas street taco sized
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 large Carrot diced
- ½ large White onion diced
- ½ Jalapeño seeds removed and diced
- ½ cup Corn kernels drained
- ½ cup Black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can Chickpeas 15 oz. can, drained
- 3 cups Vegetable broth
- ¼ cup Salsa verde
- 1 can Mild rotel 10 ounce can
- 1-2 tablespoon Vegan sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Chili powder or more
- 1 Lime for garnish
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Begin by peeling and dicing a large carrot, dicing ½ a white onion, and de-seeding and dicing a jalapeño.
- Next, use a can opener to open the corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain these each out and rinse well.
- Turn your Instant Pot on to the Sauté setting and allow it to heat up for about 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Once pot and oil are heated, add diced onion, carrot, and jalapeño and sauté until soft and onions are translucent
- Once soft, add ½ cup of drained chickpeas, ½ cup of rinsed black beans, and ½ cup of drained corn kernels.
- Add 1 can of rotel.
- Stir to combine. Then, slowly add in vegetable broth.
- Mix in the chili powder and garlic powder, as well as the salsa verde.
- Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to 'sealing.' Pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute. (It will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure.)
- Once the 1 minute timer goes off, press CANCEL and then let the pressure release naturally (meaning don't do anything) for 15 minutes.
- After the natural pressure release, flip the valve to 'venting' to release any remaining pressure, then remove the lid once the floating pin drops.
- Stir the soup and add remaining chickpeas (optional).
- TIP: If the soup is thinner than you would like it to be after removing the lid, press 'sauté' and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Take 1 tablespoon of the vegan sour cream (or alternative) and mix into the soup until it becomes creamy.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with more vegan sour cream, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, avocado slices, and more!
Stovetop Instructions
- Begin by peeling and dicing a large carrot, dicing ½ a white onion, and de-seeding and dicing a jalapeño.
- Next, use a can opener to open the corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain these each out and rinse well.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Once the pot and oil are heated, add diced onion, carrot, and jalapeño and sauté until soft and onions are translucent.
- Once soft, add ½ cup of drained chickpeas, ½ cup of rinsed black beans, and ½ cup of drained corn kernels.
- Add 1 can of rotel.
- Stir to combine. Then, slowly add in vegetable broth.
- Bring the heat up to a simmer.
- Mix in the chili powder and garlic powder, as well as the salsa verde.
- Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- After the soup has simmered, lower the heat and add the remaining chickpeas to the soup and stir.
- Take 1 tablespoon of the vegan sour cream (or alternative) and mix into the soup until it becomes creamy.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips, lime wedge, and vegan sour cream.
Tortilla Frying Instructions
- While the soup is cooking, heat up at least ⅔ cup of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven or cast iron.
- If you haven't already, slice street taco sized corn tortillas into long strips.
- Wait for the oil to heat up, then drop the strips into the hot oil and use a fork or spatula to gently move them around so they aren't touching.
- Once lightly golden, immediately remove the strips from the oil using a spatula or a slotted spoon.
- Place the strips on a wire cooling rack with paper towels underneath to absorb oil.
- Immediately sprinkle the hot tortilla strips with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Notes
- Don't want to fry your own tortillas? Just buy some tasty tortilla strips or crumble some tortilla chips!
- Make this a spicy tortilla soup by simply increasing the amount of jalapeño and chili powder. You can also use a spicy salsa verde.
- If you want to add some protein to this, I would suggest sautéing some seasoned tofu on the side and then adding it to the top OR adding plant-based chicken strips or rotisserie chicken (shredded) directly to the soup while simmering!
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