Vegan Taco Soup

5 from 10 votes

This flavor-packed vegan taco soup is made with a mix of Tex-Mex spices, red lentils, sweet corn, and black beans. It all gets topped off with luscious avocado crema and crispy tortilla strips!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Alissa

Ingredients

For the Taco Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups dried split red lentils
1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Tortilla Strips

6 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, to taste

For the Avocado Crema

1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (plus more as needed)
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Taco Soup

Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin and ancho chile powder. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, stirring constantly.
Stir in the broth and lentils. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to boil, then lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are very soft. Prepare the tortilla strips and crema (instructions below) while the soup simmers.
Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Let the soup continue simmering for about 3 minutes, just to heat everything up.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lime juice. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the Tortilla Strips

While the soup cooks, preheat oven to 400º.
Slice the tortillas into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips, then brush or spritz both sides of each strip with olive oil.
Arrange the strips on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt.
Bake the strips until lightly browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Keep a close eye on them while they bake, because they can burn quickly.

Make the Avocado Crema

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Taste-test the mixture and make any adjustments to suit your taste.

Serve

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of crema and a few tortilla strips, as well as any additional toppings you'd like.

Nutrition