Vegan Chickpea Tortilla Soup
This vegan chickpea tortilla soup is simple to make but full of flavor! Fire-roasted tomatoes, hearty chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables create a colorful, flavorful meal in minutes!
Why I Love This Soup
This Chickpea Tortilla Soup is a favorite because it only requires a handful of pantry staples ingredients but it’s so full of flavor! Plus, it only takes a few steps to get this simmering on the stovetop, so it’s quick and easy with minimal prep! It’s also a flexible recipe, so it’s easy to make substitutions as needed. And it’s packed with plant-based protein and fiber, so it will really fill you up!
Chickpea Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- Onion– This adds a nice flavor to the base of the soup. You can substitute with shallots, if you prefer.
- Bell Pepper– I used a combination of small red, yellow, and orange peppers but any color will do.
- Jalapeño– If you like things spicy, add a whole jalapeño! If you want to keep this soup mild, feel free to skip it.
- Cumin– This adds an earthy, rich flavor to the soup.
- Vegetable Broth– I like using “Not-Chicken” style broth, which has a chicken flavor but is vegetarian.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes– These add a nice smoky flavor to the soup, but you can add regular diced tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Corn– I love the sweetness the corn adds to this spicy soup!
- Chickpeas– Obviously, we need chickpeas for chickpea tortilla soup! This adds lots of protein for a filling soup.
- Crispy Tortilla Strips– I like toasting corn tortillas in the oven but you can use storebought tortilla strips if you want to save time.
- Additional Toppings– I’ve included a list of some of my favorite toppings below!
The Best Chickpea Tortilla Soup Toppings
I love adding tons of toppings to this soup! Here are some of my favorites:
- Tortilla strips– Obviously, tortilla soup needs torillas on top! I like making my own by baking corn tortilla strips until crispy but you can also find crispy tortilla strips at the store. You can also substitute with tortilla chips.
- Avocado– Diced avocado adds a rich, creamy flavor, while still keeping this soup completely vegan.
- Cilantro– I love the flavor of fresh cilantro! Try a generous pinch of chopped cilantro top of your soup.
- Cheese– A little shredded cheddar or crumbled feta can be delicious on this soup!
- Sour cream– Sour cream or greek yogurt can be a great way to add creaminess to this soup and balance out the heat.
Easy Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Stack two corn tortillas on top of each other and use a sharp knife to cut into thin strips.
- Spread the tortilla pieces in a single layer on baking sheet and spray or drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees until they begin to brown!
How to Make Chickpea Tortilla Soup
Sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened.
Add the garlic and cumin and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, and corn and simmer for 15 minutes. It’s that simple!
Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, and corn, then simmer the soup for 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are softened.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have leftover soup, let it cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 2 months. Do not freeze the toppings. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
PrintVegan Chickpea Tortilla Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This vegan chickpea tortilla soup is simple to make but full of flavor! Fire-roasted tomatoes, hearty chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables create a colorful, flavorful meal in minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded* and diced (Optional)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 28oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 15oz can sweet corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn)
- Salt to taste
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 3 corn tortillas
- Olive oil spray
- Salt
Instructions
To make the soup:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, corn, and cumin.
- Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 15 minutes.
- When you’re ready to serve, top with fresh cilantro, corn, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
To make the tortilla strips:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Stack two corn tortillas on top of each other and use a sharp knife to cut them into thin strips.
- Spread the tortilla pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray or drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees until they begin to brown.
Notes
Note: If you’re using a jalapeño or other hot peppers, wash your hands immediately after and be careful not to touch your eyes.
We made a batch the last time we made this soup and they were delicious.
The first time I made this, I added an extra habanero pepper to ours, and it was super spicy! If you’re not a huge fan of spice, leave it out. I think we were both sweating by the end of this dinner. Still, it was good, and an easy dinner to make with only one pot to clean!
Looking for a cheesy option? Try this cheesy tortilla soup!
What’s your favorite kind of soup?
This post was originally published in July 2013, updated September 2021.
I’ve learned that lesson about cutting spicy peppers the hard way too – only mine was after doing so and touching my eyes! Ouch. ouch ouch ouch :/ Anywho, this soup sounds super yummy, like the veg take on it! 🙂
Yep, I definitely rubbed my eye and then immediately ran to the bathroom to rinse it out! Ouch!
Geesh, for an experiment, that recipe looks and sounds perfect! I love tortilla soup, too, but any store- or restaurant-bought kind I get makes my stomach upset, and I’ve only made it at home once. I’m definitely going to keep this one in mind the next time I’m craving it!
Oh, and that jalapeno tip is a GOOD one. I didn’t know that the first time I chopped one up, and even my nailbeds were burning! Ouch.
My fingertips stung all night! Ouch! But next time, I’ll be prepared! haha
Oooh chickpeas! Any recipe with chickpeas is a certain winner for me 😉 I used to adore Italian wedding soup but ever since I went pescetarian, no more for me. Now I like cannellini bean soup!
Mmm! I just made a cannellini bean salad and noticed how delicious the beans were! I’ll have to try that in a soup!
I think any vegetarian and/or vegan soup in a BREAD BOWL would be my jam :D!
Great idea to use chickpeas in this soup – it sounds delicious!
The tortilla soup at Qdoba is randomly vegetarian (if you order it without chicken added) and I love it. This looks delish and I’d love to make a version at home!
Oh that’s good to know!! I’ll have to try that 🙂
I like the idea of tortilla soup too! I love your version, it looks so good! Especially because there isn’t a ton of broth to make the chips all mushy. Looks like there’s just enough! And you can’t go wrong with fresh avocado.
I like all kinds of soup but if I had to choose, I would say tomato soup because eating it with grilled cheese brings is so incredibly comforting!
This definitely came out almost like a stew! So thick and chunky. YUM!
Mmm tortilla soup is totally a summer soup to me! Love it.
I always forget to wear gloves when I cut peppers. OUCH. Next time if you forget, stick your finger in a lime. The juice helps!!
Oh, good tip!! I’m sure I’ll probably forget next time, haha
This seriously looks amazing! I love soup any time of year. Will def be trying it next week.
I don’t crave soup as often in the summer, but if it’s rainy outside, it feels perfect to me!