Vegan Taco Soup (with Crispy Tortilla Strips)

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Taco soup has got to be one of the most irresistible ways to eat your vegetables. It’s a simple bean and vegetable soup, inspired by one of my favourite Tex-Mex dishes – tacos!

Although it uses simple ingredients, taco soup is packed with flavour, and some crispy tortilla strips on top really add that crunchy taco vibe.

It’s light yet filling, simple yet interesting, healthy yet comforting… and you can’t say all of that about many dishes.

Vegan taco soup topped with sliced avocado and crispy tortilla strips.

The base of the soup is a nutrient-packed mixture of all my favourite vegetables – basically anything I’d usually put into tacos or fajitas. I added some black beans too, as they make the soup extra hearty with more protein – and you can’t bean a good black bean taco.

To add the taco-like crunch, I topped the soup with some crispy strips of tortilla – they’re like a Mexican version of a crouton! They add a different texture and flavour to the soup, which is really lovely. You could use broken tortilla chips or taco shells if you prefer!

I also added some sliced avocado too, but there are all sorts of other toppings you could go for – read below for some more ideas.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s absolutely packed with good, wholesome ingredients.
  • It’s full of flavour!
  • You can customise it with whatever vegetables or spices you like.
  • The soup makes a great base for all kinds of toppings!
  • It feels just as good in the middle of the summer as it does on a cold winter’s day.

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

Ingredients for vegan taco soup with labels.

A few ingredient notes:

  • vegetables. I used peppers, onion, mushrooms and sweetcorn, but you can switch these up if you like! Use whatever you’d usually put in your favourite vegetarian tacos.
  • garlic
  • spices. I like to start with my favourite fajita spice blend, to speed things along a bit. This time I also added some extra cumin and smoked paprika.
  • tinned tomatoes
  • black beans
  • veggie stock. I used a stock cube, but liquid stock would be fine too.
  • flour tortilla – to make the crispy tortilla strips for topping.

You might also want to prepare some additional toppings, such as:

  • sliced avocado
  • fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • sliced spring onions
  • sour cream*
  • grated cheese*

*(use vegan versions if needed)

See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

🔄 Ingredient Swaps

To keep with the ‘taco soup’ theme, I used the sorts of vegetables I’d usually use in tacos or fajitas – peppers, mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn… But you can totally use different vegetables instead, if you prefer – just use whatever you have on hand (I love a good fridge-clearer!).

If you change the vegetables too much, your soup might lose the ‘taco’ vibe, but it should still be tasty!

Any vegetable that can be simmered for a while without becoming overly soft or soggy should work just fine.

🔪 Equipment

I love to use a silicone spoon when cooking something with a strong flavour, like this vegan taco soup – you can see my favourite bright pink one in almost all of my recipe photos!

Unlike with a wooden spoon, silicone doesn’t absorb flavours from your cooking, so you can use it for curry one day, and custard the next, without any flavour contamination or staining. Silicone spoons are even dishwasher safe, to help with thorough washing.

My favourite shape is a spoon with slightly square corners, as it makes it so easy to scrape around the corners of a saucepan. You can buy them here on Amazon US / Amazon UK.

A row of three blue silicone spoons on a white background.

📋 Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Peppers, onion and mushrooms cooking in a saucepan.

Step 1: Sauté the peppers, onion and mushrooms in a large saucepan.

Becca’s Top Tip

This soup can be cooked more quickly if you’re pushed for time, but I think it’s worth taking your time over it. Let the vegetables cook for a little longer, over a slightly lower heat, to really enhance their flavour and make this a seriously tasty soup.

Vegetables cooked in spices in a saucepan.

Step 2: Add the garlic and spices, and let them cook for a few minutes until your house smells like a Mexican restaurant.

Collage showing vegan taco soup cooking in a saucepan.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients, and let the soup simmer for a while. The vegetables will soak up the tasty liquid, and become soft and flavourful.

A flour tortilla cut into strips on a chopping board.

Step 4: While the soup is simmering, cut a large flour tortilla into strips.

Collage showing crispy tortilla strips before and after frying.

Step 5: Fry the tortilla strips in a splash of oil, until they’re browned and crispy.

Becca’s Top Tip

A pair of tongs is, by far, the best tool for making the crispy tortilla strips. The tongs allow you to either stir the strips as a whole, or individually pick up and turn over specific pieces as you notice them browning.
I always use silicone-tipped tongs, like these on Amazon US / Amazon UK.

Bowlful of vegan taco soup with avocado and crispy tortilla strips.

Step 6: Serve the soup topped with the crispy tortilla strips and any extra toppings you’ve chosen.

💭 Taco Soup FAQs

What’s the difference between taco soup and tortilla soup?

They are very similar. Tortilla soup is a traditional Mexican soup, whereas taco soup is more of a Tex-Mex version. They have similar ingredients, so to be honest I think it’s valid to use the terms interchangeably – I’d even be happy to call this one ‘fajita soup’ too!

How can I thicken my taco soup?

My favourite way to thicken a vegan soup is to add a handful of red lentils when you add the liquid. They cook down nicely, and make the soup thicker and creamier.

Can you prepare taco soup in advance?

This soup is great to make in advance! Once it’s cooled, just store it in a tub in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Don’t add toppings until you’re ready to serve.

Can taco soup be frozen?

Yes! This sort of soup can easily be frozen in an air-tight tub. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Prepare toppings just before serving.

Vegan taco soup in a bowl topped with avocado and tortilla strips.
Vegan taco soup in a bowl topped with avocado and tortilla strips.

Vegan Taco Soup (with Crispy Tortilla Strips)

This vegan taco soup uses simple ingredients, but is packed with flavour – and some crispy tortilla strips give that crunchy taco vibe!

If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Comment
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 377kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the vegan taco soup:

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 onion, sliced or diced
  • 2 bell peppers, cut into short strips (I used orange and yellow)
  • 100 g (~ 3 ½ oz) mushrooms, sliced or diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp fajita spice mix
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 200 g tin sweetcorn, drained (160g, or ~ 1 cup, when drained)
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) vegetable stock

For the crispy tortilla strips:

  • 1 large flour tortilla
  • 2 Tbsp oil

Extra toppings (optional):

  • Sliced avocado
  • Fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • Sliced spring onions
  • Grated cheese
  • Sour cream

Instructions

  • Heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan, and add the sliced onion, peppers and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until very soft – probably around 10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and spices, and cook for a few more minutes, until the spices are fragrant.
  • Next add the tin of black beans, canned tomatoes, sweetcorn, and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook until everything is piping hot and the vegetables are totally cooked. It will be ready to eat after only 10 minutes or so of simmering, but for an even tastier soup, leave it for 20 or even 30 minutes to allow the flavours to intensify.
  • While the soup is simmering, prepare the crispy tortilla strips. Cut a large tortilla into strips. Heat a good splash of oil in a frying pan, then add the tortilla strips. Cook them over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring and turning them regularly, until they are crispy and nicely browned.
  • Serve the taco soup topped with the crispy tortilla strips, and any other toppings you’ve chosen.

Notes

The soup can be cooked in advance and reheated before serving, if needed. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan or in the microwave, and add toppings just before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Taco Soup (with Crispy Tortilla Strips)
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 377 Calories from Fat 136
% Daily Value*
Fat 15.1g23%
Saturated Fat 1.8g9%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 465mg19%
Potassium 982mg28%
Carbohydrates 60.6g20%
Fiber 12.6g50%
Sugar 11.2g12%
Protein 13g26%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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5 Comments

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  2. Yuum, looks fab as always – I love that you use fresh coriander too – I always think soup tastes much nicer with a big bunch of fresh coriander in it!! Perfect for this awful weather.