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This Creamy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipe is made in the crockpot for a hassle-free dinner that the entire family can enjoy. It is easy to make, filling, so delicious, and perfect for any day of the week as we head into the fall season.
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Colder weather calls for soups and chili recipes. If you are looking for a vegetarian soup recipe then this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe is perfect for you. Great for those busy days when you just need to toss everything in your slow cooker or crockpot, head out, and have dinner ready for the family when you get back home.
Making the crockpot vegetarian tortilla soup is easy and it’s made with ingredients that you most likely already have sitting in your pantry. It’s as easy as tossing all the ingredients together in your crockpot turning it on and walking away. Enjoy this creamy tortilla soup as is or serve it as a side dish any day of the week for lunch or dinner. We will be showing you how to make this tortilla soup on your stovetop, slow cooker, and instant pot!
For a non-vegetarian version of this soup, check out this creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe. You will love it too.
Why you will love this recipe
- Epicly good: We promise you that you will love the creamy and delicious tortilla soup. They are also vegetarian-friendly.
- Very Easy to make: All you need to do is prep your ingredients, toss them into the slow cooker, and let it do all the work for you. Don’t forget to add the cream cheese at the very end.
- Nutritous and filling: This vegetarian tortilla soup is packed with nutrition and will keeo you full and satisfied.
Ingredients you will need
Below is just a list of ingredients to check if you have and that you’ll need to make this vegetarian tortilla soup. Full measurements will be listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Medium onion: you may use white or yellow onions
- Olive oil– or any other neutral oil like avocado oil
- Bell peppers: use what you have on hand like red bell pepper, or green will work too.
- Jalapeno pepper: adds a nice taste, but if you are worried about the kids, you may add half the amount of skip all together.
- Vegetable broth: to keep this vegetarian, we used vegetable broth. If it doesn’t matter, you can also use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes: use fresh tomatoes, or canned will work just fine. If you have fire-roasted diced tomatoes, even better.
- Mild or medium salsa: brings out the flavor of this tortilla soup, so try not to skip this.
- Beans: black beans, red beans, or any other beans of choice like pinto beans.
- Corn: use fresh corn, canned corn, or frozen frozen corn.
- Dried red lentils: Adds texture and fiber.
- seasonings: smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper
- Light cream cheese, or dairy-free cream cheese: This is what makes the soup creamy.
- OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, sliced or diced jalapeños, chopped red onion, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
How to make vegetarian tortilla soup in a crockpot or slow cooker
- Start by prepping the vegetables; dice the onion and peppers. Drain and rinse the beans.
Wash the lentils thoroughly under cold running water and set them aside. - Except for cream cheese, combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours, until vegetables and lentils are cooked through and the soup is thick.
- Once done, remove the lid and mix in the cream cheese. Pour the soup into a large serving bowl.
- Add your favorite toppings and serve warm!
To Make in an instant pot
- Turn the Instant Pot on and add oil. Stir in onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, place all the ingredients into the pot, except for cream cheese.
- Cover the pot with the lid, setting the valve to the sealing position. Then, cook on high for 15 minutes. Once the pot beeps, allow the pot to release pressure naturally.
- Unlock the lid and add the cream cheese. Stir well and serve with your favorite toppings.
How to make Vegetarian Tortilla soup on a stovetop
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a soup pot, over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in bell pepper and jalapeño, and cook, stirring constantly until slightly golden brown.
- Immediately pour in the broth. Add tomato sauce, salsa, beans, corn, and lentils.
- Stir in the spices, and mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes until the lentils is
tender and the soup is thick according to your liking. - Once the soup is done, stir in cream cheese. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.
- Pour the soup into bowls. Add sliced jalapeños, onion, and avocado.
- Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips, and cheddar cheese on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Do not add the cream cheese until the soup is almost done. Instead of cream cheese, you can add another cream like heavy cream or half and half. (a not-so-less-healthy option). Also, you may use lite canned coconut milk.
- Use any beans you like. We used black and red beans.
- You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn.
- Go with hot salsa if you prefer this soup to be more on the spicy side. Adding more cayenne pepper is another option
- If you can’t handle too much heat/spice, seed the jalapenos before adding it in. You can even skip it all together if kids will be having this soup.
Frequently asked questions
Things you can eat tortilla soup with are tortilla chips and some Spanish rice, try this Jalapeno cornbread, cheese quesadilla, sour cream, guacamole, crunchy tortilla chips or strips, some salad, or Mexican street corn salad.
There are many ways you can thicken up any soup. For the tortilla soup, you can crumble up some more tortilla chips and add them in, or mash up some more beans and add them to the soup. Adding more of whatever veggies you are using also works like more beans or more corn. You can also thicken up the soup by adding in some flour (mixed with water first) or cornstarch. Other ways can be adding more cream/yogurt or more lentils.
Vegetarian tortilla soup will last in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Be sure to store it in a tightly sealed container. You can freeze this soup for up to 4 months.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. you may freeze this vegetarian tortilla soup for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat single servings in the microwave for 60-90 seconds. You may reheat it on your stovetop in a small pot or saucepan. If the soup is too thick, you may add 1/4 cup of water or vegetable broth.
More healthy soup recipes to try
- Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Easy French Onion Soup
- Meatball Soup
- Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup
- Homemade Tomato Rice Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Vegan Lentil Soup
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Crockpot Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Crock Pot
- Chef's knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp olive oil, or avocado oil
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
- 1 cup corn, fresh, canned, or frozen
- 3/4 cup dried red lentils
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 red bell pepper, or green peppers, diced
- 3/4 cup salsa , use mild or spicy, or salsa verde
- 15 oz black beans, one can, drained & rinsed
- 15 oz red beans, one can, drained & rinsed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 fresh garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional, use more for a spicier soup
- 1/2 cup light cream cheese, or any creamy cheese of choice, dairy-free works great too
- Salt and pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, sour cream, sliced or diced jalapeños, chopped red onion, shredded cheddar, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Start by prepping the vegetables; dice the onion and peppers.
- Drain and rinse the beans.
- Wash the lentils thoroughly under cold running water and set them aside.
For Slow-Cooker/crockpot directions:
- Except for cream cheese, combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours, until vegetables and lentils are cooked through and the soup is thick.
- Once done, remove the lid and mix in the cream cheese.
- Pour the soup into a large serving bowl. Add your favorite toppings and serve warm!
Video
Notes
- Serving size: One bowl is about 2 cups
- Don’t forget to add the cream cheese at the very end
- You can use any oil of choice for this tortilla soup
- Use your favorite beans. We used black and red beans.
- Use any creamy white cheese instead of heavy cream for a creamy thick soup.
- Corn: fresh, canned, or frozen corn can be used.
- The cayenne pepper is optional if kids will be eating this we suggest you skip it. Add more if you prefer it to be spicier.
- To keep this vegetarian-friendly, use vegetable broth. Otherwise, you can use any broth.
- If you aren’t vegetarian and would like to add some meat to this, try chicken or beef. You can use shredded chicken, or add a full chicken breast and shred it later after it is fully cooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was actually, so delicious. I’m glad I made it.
So glad you loved it. Thanks for the feedback
One of our favorite easy meals! I’ve made this countless times now and it turns out delicious every time.
Thank you, Emily. This makes me so happy. I really appreciate your time and feedback
I doubled the recipe and made only one change. I happened to have adzuki beans that I had presoaked from the night before, so I used those in place of the lentils in the same quantity. The recipe was a big hit with the whole family, including our teens who loved it and had seconds. Thank you for this new family favorite!
I am so glad. Yay!
This recipe was amazing & so easy to make! I forgot the red lentils so I had to add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up a little bit, but it turned out perfect!
Thanks for the feedback Sara. Glad you loved it.
Question. Can I use green lentils in this recipe? Looking forward to making it.
Hi there. Yes you can.
This was SOOOOO. good ! I made it exactly as written and ir was fabulous ! ❤️ I will be making it again.
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you loved it
Does the cream cheese have to be room temperature before adding?
It would help it melt faster but you don’t have to get it to room temperature
Hello,
I was wondering if we had to include the salsa? Or will it taste the same without it?
Hi Carol. If you don’t have any add some chopped tomatoes. The salsa will give it a unique taste but you can definitely improvise
Delicious, I was able to make it on the stove top 1.5 hours low flame, stirring it every20 minutes. . Added extra vegetable broth, 2 additionalcans of beans, 4 slices of jalapeño pepper, due to family preference. Slices avocados, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of a lemon. Yummy