2nd Mexican recipe in the same week, is what you are probably thinking. Or, maybe you are just as excited about it as I am?? I like Mexican food, no love Mexican food. I grew up on it. And soup. Ahhhh, soup. My favorite thing on the planet to eat, and this might just be the one I live off of for the next 4 months. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold outside or 90 degrees, I will still eat soup and crave it. Weirdo? Perhaps, but that is what air conditioning is for. There is nothing quite like a spoon and a bowl of comforting soup in my hands. So, when my reader Estee requested I come up with an amazing tortilla soup, I was excited to create one. It had been a long time since I had one at a Mexican restaurant.
Let me introduce you to a beautifully colored, non-watery tomato-chile soup. I’m in love with this Vegan Mexican Tortilla Soup. Soooo many tortilla soups look like watered down broth with avocado and tortilla chips on top. I’m sorry, but I like FLAVOR. Now, there are about a billion different versions of tortilla soups out there. The Mexican tortilla soups are where it’s at. Classic Mexican tortilla soups have a cooked pureed tomato/onion/dried chile base that is then added to broth. Some are heavy broth and some are more tomato heavy. I went the tomato route because it gave more flavor and a thicker base, which I prefer. I tried to keep it simple, easy and still delicious and just created it to the way my tastebuds were happy. Tortilla soup is good, but it’s even better with the toppings of crispy corn tortilla strips and creamy avocado chunks. It’s just not tortilla soup without those toppings. I was most inspired to create my version after seeing this one and it’s simplicity. My version is quite different, but a similar process.
Unlike all other tortilla soups that use lots of oil, this one is completely oil-free! The only real fat is in the chopped avocado on top. So, this is a super healthy tortilla soup.
We need tomatoes and lots of them. Some roasted tomatoes, dried ancho chile peppers, broth, lots of onion, garlic and of course topped off with the classic crispy tortilla strips and avocado, and you are good to go.
Charring and rehydrating those ancho chile peppers really brings a ton of flavor depth to this tortilla soup. It’s amazing the flavor these bring.
Apparently after some research, original classic Mexican tortilla soups use dried pasilla chiles, but those are not as easy to find, whereas dried ancho chile peppers are always at my local grocery store. Those are simply dried poblano peppers and they add wonderful deep flavor to the soup. I absolutely love poblano peppers in any form. Using dried adds amazing flavor.
I even decided to make it extra droolworthy by adding my Mexican Tahini Sauce drizzled all over the top. By the way, that sauce is a huge reader favorite, so if you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance. Adding it to the soup is optional, but ohhhhhh so recommended. It really added another dimension of depth, flavor and creaminess. Kind of like how traditional Mexican tortilla soup uses cream or cheese on top, but I did my own thang. The soup certainly does not need this sauce for flavor, it’s more like for presentation purposes, but it’s not necessary.
This soup really reminded me of a cross between a brothy tortilla soup and enchilada sauce. It’s richer in flavor and much more my preference than the overly thin broth I’ve had before in tortilla soups. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Vegan Mexican Tortilla Soup, so please leave me feedback below after you make it!
Mexican Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large dried ancho chile peppers these are dried poblano peppers and what give depth of flavor
- 8 medium tomatoes 972 g, the smaller ones about 2 inches wide on the vine, make sure you use the right weight amount for the correct results
- 4 cups 960 mL low-sodium vegetable broth, separated, see directions (use your favorite strong broth here for best flavor, no watery stuff)
- 1 large red onion finely chopped (200 g)
- 3 large garlic cloves 1 1/2 tablespoon minced
- cumin 1/2 tablespoon, optional
- salt and pepper 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon blk pepper
- 8 corn tortillas cut into about 1/2 inch thick strips (or just use tortilla chips)
- 3 cups super sweet corn 405 g, I used Trader Joe's frozen, it's amazing
- cubed avocado
- Garnish: Optional Mexican Tahini Sauce Lime wedges
Instructions
- Each step is crucial to the final flavor/texture result, so there are a few steps involved. To save time, you can rehydrate your peppers and char your tomatoes the day before you want to eat the soup. I did this and it also produces more flavor, but not necessary.
- First, you will need to toast and rehydrate your dried peppers. This is very simple. You will place a cast iron skillet on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Once the skillet is hot, add your peppers, you will only cook them 2 minutes on each side. It's lightly charring them and softening them. I used a spoon to press them down on the pan. Do not cook them past a couple minutes on each side or you can burn them and ruin the flavor. Next, slice a few slits in the peppers with a knife and pour hot water over the peppers until they are submerged. The water will fill up the insides of the peppers helping them to soak down. Press them down to soak them. Cover with a plate and let them soak for just 30-45 minutes, max. After they have soaked, remove them and pull the stems off and remove all the seeds. They should be super soft and very easy to do this. Add them to a blender and set aside. Don't blend yet.
- While they are soaking, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a sheet pan with foil. Add your whole tomatoes to the pan and roast them on the middle rack for 15 minutes, flip them over and then turn on high broil to broil them for another 10-15 minutes until looking very charred. Remove and add them to a blender, all the charred skins included. Don't blend yet.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, add ONLY 2 cups of the veggie broth to a large pot and add the onion, garlic, cumin (if using) and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and once boiling, turn to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Once the onions are soft, add the broth mixture to the blender with the tomatoes.
- Your ancho chiles should be done soaking by now. Remove them from the skillet and pull the stems off and remove all the seeds. They should be super soft and very easy to do this. Add them to the blender with the tomatoes. Now you are going to blend everything up until really, really smooth. It should be like a really smooth salsa. You want to make sure to blend up all those skins from the tomatoes and chiles really well.
- Add the remaining 2 cups broth to the blender and blend once more. Pour the soup back into the pot and add the corn. Bring back to a boil, cover and then turn down to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Taste and add any more salt/spice, not forgetting that you are adding toppings. It should be a cross between a brothy soup and an enchilada sauce. If you want it thinner, add more broth. I loved it this way though!
- Lasty, while the soup is simmering, prepare the tortilla strips. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and stack them and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. Spread them out onto a parchment paper lined pan and sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes until very golden, tossing them around at the halfway point. Watch closely at the end to make sure they aren't burning.
- This soup base is delicious and drinkable on it's own, but it's the toppings that really complete it and make it feel like a meal. Ladle your soup into bowls and add chopped avocado and add your crispy tortilla chips, load them up, add lots of chopped avocado. Break up the tortilla chips in the soup. If desired, garnish with lime wedges and my Mexican Tahini sauce. Right before serving I sprinkled a little extra salt on top. This soup gets better each day too!
soup is my go-to when the weather starts to get chilly, I like how this soup is really hearty with whole ingredients, perfect for a nice lunch with some fresh fruit on the side 🙂
Thank you so much Rachel!!
Soup is my favorite too! I eat it all year round! This looks delicious! I love tortilla soup.
This looks so comforting and I love the tortilla strips on top, Brandi! While the addition of ancho chili peppers gives the right spiciness, the corn adds more color and a natural sweetener to the bowl. The mexican tahini sauce sprinkled on top makes this already amazing soup still better, yum! 🙂
Thank you so much Florian! Yes, I agree, corn isn’t an ingredient in classic Mexican tortilla soup, but to me, the sweetness of the corn is kind of needed, for me at least. It also gives more bite to the soup and color, like you said. I just can’t get enough of Trader Joe’s super sweet corn either 🙂
This looks so delicious and comorting, Brandi! Perfect for cold fall nights! 🙂 And the Mexican tahini sauce sounds amazing!!
Thank you so much Sina! The tahini sauce is not needed, but it’s just like that extra creaminess that is a nice touch!
Mmmmm, nothing like the classic tortilla soup!! I am a corn fanatic and love all the corn you put in and I love that you said “non-watery”…..that’s the key and one that’s hard to master!
Thank you so much girl! I agree…the classic way is best. I changed mine up of course, but stuck to the basics for lots of flavor and really cut down on the broth amount that is traditionally used because I don’t like soups too brothy/watery, in this case anyways. It truly could be called enchilada sauce soup, lol! It totally reminded us of enchiladas!
Hi Brandi,
Your tortilla soup looks delicious. May I make a request? I have always loved cheese enchiladas (tex-mex style). I would really love to have a simple enchilada bowl. But with only whole ingredients. So, brown rice, beans and whole corn. would be good but, not tortillas. No fat or oil. I am allowed nutritional yeast. So, that and other seasonings would be great. Something easy and quick. Thank you so much 🙂
Hi Billie! Yes, I will totally add that to my recipe request list, sounds delicious. You know it’s funny you asked for that because when I posted my burritos the other day, I was thinking how delicious all that would be as an enchilada bowl. I will work on something for you, fat-free all whole-food based 🙂
Super fantastic! Can’t wait!
Traveling on the same boat again this week Brandi ?
I have a huge pot of lentil soup here to get me through our cold rainy weekend that could be cousins to this gorgeous hearty meal. I miss tortilla soup since going vegan but this recipe will make me forget all about my old favorite and fall in love with your version here.
Hoping its not too cold yet down in Texas ?
Haha yes, I can never get enough Mexican food! I live off of it! Thank you so much Angela! No, not cold at all…too hot actually, still 90 degrees!
Seriously the best looking tortilla soup I’ve ever seen! You put so much thought into making it flavorful and perfect with charring your own peppers, just the right amount of pureed vs chunky, corn is a must, and those homemade tortilla strips (the most important part in my opinion!!) Once it is actually cold outside, I have a feeling this would make me feel very toasty and content inside 🙂
Awww you are the sweetest Natalie! Thank you so much for that compliment! This will definitely warm you up! I’ve been eating this all week, it’s just so good!
Oh yeah. Mexican food and soup! You’re a woman after my own stomach :-)!!
The both are a fierce duo, huh?!
OH WOW! I just want to dive into those gorgeous bowls. This Mexican tortilla soup looks amazingly delish. Spicy, flavorful, cozy and comfy. This is what I need in my life!
Thank you so much Anu! So kind of you!
this sounds delicious! soup is the BEST this time of year when it’s getting colder! 😉 I’m already asking, is it summer yet! lol i’m such a freeze baby so soup is perfect! mexican tortilla flavor sounds totally YUM!
Haha, thank you Michele! Soup is my favorite, period!
I never would’ve thought of charring peppers to get the right flavor, but it totally makes sense! I love tortilla soup and make it all the time. But this is definitely a recipe for the books. Also, I know those dishes and love them! Man…we have so much in common we should seriously get together ;op
Thank you so much Michaell! It really does give so much more flavor and a richer color. I didn’t think of it though, it’s the classic way of preparing tortilla soup. There have been other ways of making tortilla soup of course, but I prefer the classic way and really wanted something more than just broth. 🙂
This is such a beautiful soup Brandi! So flavoursome and comforting, perfect for the cold weather we’re having where I live at the moment. Mexican flavours are my favourite!
Okay, so I made this yesterday…I really REALLY didn’t want to like it because it was (by my standards) a lot of work. But oh Lordie, it’s SO good! My husband and I SWOONED (The Mexican Tahini is a MUST, people.)! My daughters are too young to appreciate the goodness but yeah, I’ll be (unfortunately?) making this again!
Keep all the yumminess coming. (The vegan cream cheeses…For the love of savory, fatty goodness, sweet Jesus, it’s GOOD!).
Haha! Sorry you loved it TOO much, haha! It’s a bit of work if you do it all the same time, I agree. But as you can tell, the flavor rewards are worth it. That’s why I suggest making the poblano peppers and tomatoes the day before and it comes together MUCH faster 🙂 That is what I do now, so there is a much faster dinner. Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, so glad it was a hit! 🙂
Oh and YAY! SO happy you loved the cream cheeses too, thank you so much!! 🙂
We really love this soup and making it. That probably sounds funny, but prepping the peppers and creating this masterpiece was wonderful. My husband took it to work every day and just raved about the flavors and it kept getting better each day it sat in the frig. Next time I might even add some black beans. The base is just bursting with flavors.
Thank you so much Estee! I’m so happy you both loved it so much!! Thank you so much for the feedback!
This soup sounds amazing. I have two confessions on this subject: one — when I was a kid I always thought tortilla soup was turtle soup 😛 two — I’ve only tried making tortilla soup once in uni from a recipe and it was the most flavorless soup ever, so I’m glad to hear you’re on the ball with making a soup taste good 🙂
Haha, yes I know what you mean Audrey! That is exactly why I created this to be so full of flavor. I hate soups that are just watered down broth with no flavor…I’ll just drink broth if that’s what I wanted, lol! This one is like enchilada sauce meets soup!
So I just read your dip post about songs and commented there how it’s a thing for Joe and I. And as soon as I started reading this post, my head started singing “Soup, soup de doop…soup de drop de doop de doop” (to the tune of Salt n Pepa’s Shoop) HAHAHAHA!!! I want to sing my mouth right into this soup! It looks so good and I love all the flavors!
Omg sooo old school, lol! I actually never liked that song, but then again I didn’t care for Salt n Pepa songs that much. I was never a huge rap fan, but I did like the dip song because it was more club-ish sounding, lol!
Ooh I love tortilla soup! This one looks fantastical.
Your recipe directions say….8 medium tomatoes or 972 gms. What is this in lbs? Thanks.
Hi Diane! That’s about 2 lbs 2 oz 🙂
Will a regular skillet have the same effect if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
Hi Alison! A regular skillet won’t really char it exactly the same way, but will work good enough. Just really press down and make sure your pan is hot, as an iron skillet gets super hot. Let me know how it turns out!
Would roasted pablano peppers work ilo the charred ancho chili pepper? My garden is full of the pablanos right now . I love tortilla soup and can’t wait to try this.
Hi Mariann, it’s a totally different flavor and much less heat, but you can certainly try it. I think it would still be delicious, I just haven’t tried it, so it’s hard to say. Please let me know!
This tastes like salsa instead of Mexican soup, so I added black beans and cilantro, which helped, but it still tastes like salsa. I’m not fond of drinking a whole bowl of salsa so I won’t be making this one again.
Nina, sorry to hear you didn’t care for it, but this is the classic way of making Mexican Tortilla soup in Mexico, these are the ingredients used and method. It is supposed to be a very richly flavored soup, not brothy and watered down. You are thinking of the American version of tortilla soup, which sounds like you were expecting that, which this is not meant to be. As noted in the post, this is my version of how a truly authentic classic Mexican tortilla soup is made. This I wouldn’t say at all tastes like salsa, there is no bold acidity from lime or vinegar or cilantro in this soup. Rather, it is more along the lines of an enchilada sauce flavor, which is deeper and much less acidic.
Fabulous soup. Definitely one of our favorites! Little taste of a classic Mexican dish. So flavorful.
Thank you so much Estee! Yes, just like a true classic!