Lentil tortilla soup is a delicious vegetarian soup that is hearty and soul-warming. Perfect for cool fall days, this great recipe is an easy weeknight meal that has so much flavor!
Soup season is my favorite season. I know you've heard me say it before, but there is just nothing better than a hot bowl of soup this time of year. I make so much soup and chili throughout the fall and winter that by the time spring rolls around I sometimes forget there are other recipes I used to make. Thankfully, my husband would happily eat soup through July.
This hearty vegetarian tortilla soup recipe is one of my favorite meatless meals. Made with brown lentils and black beans, it is filling and delicious. I use canned lentils to save cooking time (busy mom hack!), and this one-pot meal is ready in about 25 minutes. Garnish with some crispy tortilla strips and avocado, and serve it alongside some whole grain cornbread, for a super yummy supper your whole family will love. For other delicious soup recipes, try simple creamy vegetable rice soup, butternut squash carrot ginger soup, or instant pot navy bean soup.
You Will Love This
- A hearty and filling vegetarian recipe - great for your next meatless Monday!
- This soup is full of extra protein and fiber, and made with delicious whole foods ingredients.
- Low on cook time and big on flavor, lentil soup is a perfect weekday meal.
Ingredients
Gather up your ingredients! For this easy vegetarian lentil tortilla soup, you will need:
- Olive oil
- Onion: I used yellow onion, but red onion would also work well in this soup.
- Bell pepper: I used red pepper, but yellow, orange or green pepper will also work great.
- Garlic: either fresh garlic cloves or minced jarred garlic will work in this recipe.
- Vegetable broth: You can also use chicken broth if you don't need the soup to be vegetarian.
- Spices, including chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Green chiles: You could substitute salsa verde if you have that on hand!
- Black beans: I used a can of black beans. You could substitute pinto beans if you prefer.
- Lentils: I used a can of brown lentils to make this recipe super quick. If you want to use dried lentils, split red lentils are a great quick-cooking choice!
- Frozen corn kernels
- Cream cheese: For a vegan lentil tortilla soup, substitute the cream cheese and half and half for coconut milk.
- Half and half
- Cornstarch
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the veggies. Dice the onion. Seed and dice the bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
Step Two: Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and minced garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Step Three: Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika to the pot, and stir into the onions. Add the tomatoes, black beans, lentils, frozen corn kernels and veggie broth. Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat.
Step Four: In a small bowl, create a slurry by adding the cornstarch to the half and half and whisking well until no lumps remain. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. Let the soup come back up to a simmer. Then, cut the cream cheese into small cubes and add it to the soup. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to incorporate the cream cheese fully into the soup. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Step Five: Garnish with your desired toppings, and serve! We love tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Plain Greek yogurt would be another great choice!
Storage
This soup stores well, and tastes great the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Leftover soup will thicken slightly upon storage into more of a stew-like consistency. Feel free to thin it out with a little broth or water, if desired.
Recipe
Lentil Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 4 ounce can mild green chiles
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can brown lentils drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- Kosher salt to taste (approximately 1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies. Dice the onion. Seed and dice the bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
- Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and minced garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika to the pot, and stir into the onions and peppers. Add the tomatoes, black beans, lentils, frozen corn and veggie broth. Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, create a slurry by adding the cornstarch to the half and half, and whisking well until no lumps remain. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. Let the soup come back up to a simmer. Then, cut the cream cheese into small cubes and add it to the soup. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to incorporate the cream cheese fully into the soup. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Garnish with your desired toppings, and serve!
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