Vegan Tortilla Soup

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Vegan tortilla soup is a twist on a Mexican classic filled with bold flavors and a mixture of textures. Crispy corn tortilla strips are covered in a chile-infused broth and finished off with garnishes like lime, avocado, crema, and cheese.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Flavorful: If you enjoy the bold, vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine, this soup is for you! Fresh ingredients combine to create a recipe that’s spicy, zesty, and savory.
• Simple: There are no complicated steps, just straightforward instructions. It starts with a quick and easy broth, but it’s all about the finishing touches.
• Comforting: After a warm bowl of tortilla soup, you’ll be able to put your feet up and stay full for hours. Vegan tortilla soup is a classic, comforting dish.
• Traditional: Did you know the traditional method of making tortilla soup involves a thin, chile-based broth? Try it this way, and we promise you’ll fall in love.

If you love vegan tortilla soup, you definitely need to check out our sopa de coditos, sopa de fideo, and sopa de conchas.

🌶️ What is tortilla soup?

Tortilla soup (or sopa de tortilla) is a traditional Mexican soup made with fried corn tortilla strips that are bathed in a tomato and pasilla chile broth. It’s flavored with herbs like Mexican oregano, bay leaves, and epazote, creating a unique taste and aroma.

Like many Mexican recipes, this dish heavily relies on garnishes. You’ll most often find fried pasilla chiles, avocados, queso, and Mexican crema accompanying the soup. The end result is full of crunchy and creamy textures in every bite.

Contrary to what you may find on the internet, tortilla soup is traditionally made with a thin, tomato-chile broth. Somewhere along the way, blending tortillas and making a thick sauce became popular.

While this still makes for a great soup, we tried to keep things as close to the original as possible.

🌱 Is tortilla soup vegan?

Tortilla soup is generally made with chicken broth and dairy-based queso and crema. Occasionally, shredded chicken or pieces of chicharrón (pork rinds) are also included.

To make this recipe vegan, we swapped in a vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. We used vegan mozzarella cubes instead of panela cheese. And finally, we topped it off with homemade vegan Mexican crema.

We decided to leave out any meat alternatives for an extra quick and easy-to-make recipe. You can always add in vegan chicken, shredded jackfruit, or oyster mushrooms for a heartier meal!

📜 History

Tlaxcala is thought to be the birthplace of sopa de tortilla since the word Tlaxcala translates to “maiz land” in the Nahuatl language. This region is also the place corn tortillas originated, so it seems only fitting that tortilla soup comes from here!

As the story goes, sopa de tortilla came to be based on the need for easily digestible meals with ingredients available in the area.

The evolution of tortilla soup seems to have happened when Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mesoamerica. Early written recipes call for cheese and crema, both of which were brought over from Spain.

This soup highlights unique ingredients coming together to create a dish that encompasses both cultures and cuisines.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Tortillas: For the most traditional flavor, use freshly made corn tortilla strips (from a tortillería or homemade). Corn tortilla chips will work in a pinch.
• Oil: Use olive oil to fry the chiles. For the tortilla strips, use neutral vegetable oil with a high smoke point. Canola, sunflower, or peanut oil will all work.
• Chiles: Pasilla chiles are the typical variety in sopa de tortilla, providing fruity, earthy, and slightly smoky notes. And arbol chiles bring the heat! Feel free to use ancho chiles for pasilla and piquin chiles or cayenne for arbol chiles.
• Tomatoes: Romas form the base of the broth, adding tangy, juicy, and slightly sweet flavors. Fresh tomatoes are the most ideal, but canned whole tomatoes will also work. Drain them beforehand.
• Onion & garlic: Use either white or yellow onion. Keep the garlic fresh for a hearty, punchy, and flavor-packed broth.
• Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano is preferred (check any Mexican food market). The next best substitute is Marjoram followed by Mediterranean oregano.
• Vegetable broth: Use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base or No Chicken Base to emulate meat-based chicken broth.
• Bay leaf: Simmered with the chile broth, providing a subtle minty flavor with hints of black pepper.
• Epazote: Imparts quite a unique flavor profile of oregano, anise, citrus, and mint all mixed together. Use fresh or dried. It’s an acquired taste, so add it slowly.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan tortilla soup

Step 1: Fry the chiles

First, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium. Cut the seeded pasilla chiles into thin rings using kitchen shears, then add them to the skillet along with the seeded arbol chiles. Fry for 30-40 seconds, or until fragrant.

Step 2: Blend the salsa

In the meantime, add the tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, and 2 cups of vegetable broth to a blender. Add ⅔ of the pasilla chiles and all of the arbol chiles, then mix on high until smooth.

Step 3: Season the salsa

Transfer the leftover chile oil to a stockpot over medium heat. Pour the salsa through a mesh strainer into the pot, then let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Simmer the broth

Add the rest of the vegetable broth, bay leaf, and sprigs of epazote to the pot. Stir to combine, then turn the heat down to simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Step 5: Fry the tortillas

Heat about ~1 inch of neutral oil in a deep saucepan or skillet over medium. Cut the tortillas into thin strips and fry in batches until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch.

Transfer the strips to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Continue this process until all the strips are gone.

Step 6: Assembly

To serve, add a handful of tortilla strips to a bowl followed by a few ladles of broth. Top it off with your favorite garnishes and serve warm. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making vegan tortilla soup, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥑 The best garnishes for vegan tortilla soup

Your vegan tortilla soup won’t be complete without some of these garnishes on top:

• Cream: Drizzle vegan Mexican crema or dairy-free sour cream over top to lessen the spice and add richness.
• Queso: Vegan panela, vegan mozzarella, vegan queso fresco, or vegan cotija will all work here.
• Limes: Squeeze in a few limes for added zest.
• Avocado: Fresh avocado cubes add a creamy, buttery component.
• Radishes: Thinly slice radishes and add them for a traditional garnish.
• White onion: It wouldn’t be complete without finely diced white onions. 
• Cilantro: Adds color and bright, herbaceous flavors.
• Fried pasilla chiles: Save some from the recipe to top the soup with.

 🌡️ Storage & reheating

If you end up with leftover vegan tortilla soup, follow these storage tips:

• Fridge: Keep the soup in airtight glass containers, and it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge (we find the flavors stay locked in best this way). Just make sure to store the broth and tortilla strips separately from each other.
• Freezer: Tortilla soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. We use freezer-safe bags, glass containers, or mason jars. Whichever one you use, leave some room at the top for expansion.
• Reheating: When you’re ready for more soup, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Heat it in a saucepan over low-medium for 3-5 minutes.

♻️ Variations

• Meat replacement: Add your favorite vegan protein, like shredded vegan chicken or jackfruit, for more textures throughout the broth.
• Skip epazote: This ingredient can be tough to find, so don’t worry about adding it to the recipe. The best place to find it (fresh or dry) is at a Mexican food market.
• More spice: If you prefer a spicier soup, add more arbol chiles, piquin chiles, serranos, or habaneros to the broth.
• Other spices: We enjoy the classic flavor of Mexican oregano, but feel free to use other seasonings like cumin, coriander, or paprika.
• Thicken the broth: Though not the most traditional approach, blending the broth with a few tortillas makes a thicker and more filling version.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Season to taste: Adjust the salt and other seasonings at the end of cooking to ensure the broth tastes just right.
• Fresh herbs: Make sure the chiles and herbs you use are fresh for the best flavor.
• Don’t forget to garnish: Use a variety of garnishes as they all provide different textural components and enhance the dish. 
• Simmer: Simmering the soup helps the flavors meld together. Don’t skip this important step!

💬 FAQ

🍴 More recipes

If you enjoyed this vegan tortilla soup, be sure to check out some more soup and stew recipes like these:

• Black Bean Soup: High in protein, full of fiber, and makes for great leftovers.
• Fava Bean Soup: Made with creamy fava beans and fresh vegetables.
• Vegan Pozole Rojo: Featuring spicy red broth, tender hominy, and oyster mushrooms.
• Sopa de Lentejas: Filled with hearty lentils and savory vegetables.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.