Black Bean Tortilla Soup
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This vegetable packed Black Bean Tortilla Soup Recipe is a delicious year round soup that you’ll want to make again and again! It’s a great way to get veggies into your diet and it’s layered with those delicious Mexican flavors we crave. Finish it off with queso fresco and sliced avocado for even more flavor.
Black Bean Recipe
I may be a meat eater but I still love a good vegetarian black bean recipe. Black beans are a good way to protein and fiber in your diet plus I love the way they taste.
Here’s a small collection of some of my vegetarian black bean recipes:
- Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Tacos
- Mango Black Bean Avocado Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Veggie Black Bean Tacos
- Honey Lime Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans
And they’re all Mexican inspired recipes. So I guess we’ll keep that same good thing going here with this good for the soul soup.
Ingredients for this Black Bean Soup
- Olive oil
- Fresh veggies: Onion, bell pepper, carrot, garlic, jalapeno, corn, avocado, cilantro
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper
- Canned ingredients: vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, black beans
- For added flavor: Lime and optional queso fresco cheese
- Tortillas (for homemade tortilla strips)
For this soup I like to make homemade baked tortilla strips but store-bought tortilla strips or even tortilla chips will work great as well.
How to Make Baked Tortilla Strips
I like to make the tortilla strips while to soup is simmering. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil then place in stacks of four. Cut each stack through the middle (in half), then cut into small strips.
Separate and spread onto prepared baking sheet into an even layer, season lightly with salt. Bake in preheated oven 6 minutes, remove toss then spread back out.
Return to oven and bake until lightly golden brown and crisp, about 4 – 7 minutes longer (note they should crispen up even more as they cool).
How to Make Fried Tortilla Strips
If going the homemade route, you can also fry the tortilla strips (instead of baking). To do so, pour vegetable oil into a pot until there’s nearly 1-inch.
Heat oil to 370 degrees, then fry strips in batches until lightly golden brown and crisp. Using a skimmer transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Season lightly with salt.
Then if you aren’t on a strict vegetarian diet, be sure to check out my chicken versions as well.
More Black Bean Recipes You Might Like
- Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema
- Roasted sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
- Mexican Style Black Beans (Crockpot or Instant Pot Method)
- Black Bean Soup (with Bacon!)
- Honey Lime Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper (any color)
- 1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced (omit if you don't like spicy)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup (slightly packed) chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, sliced or diced
- Queso fresco or shredded Mexican blend cheese, for serving (optional)
Tortilla strips
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno and saute 4 minutes, add galic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Pour in broth, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
- Add black beans and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
- While soup is cooking brush sides of tortillas with the 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Then layer tortillas in stacks of 4 and cut each stack in half, then cut into small strips.
- Separate strips and spread onto a greased 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, working to place them in a single layer, season lightly with salt.
- Bake in preheated oven 6 minutes, toss then spread back out and bake 4 - 7 minutes longer until crisp. Let cool.
- If serving all of the soup right away, stir half of the tortilla strips into soup (otherwise wait to stir strips in until reheating the soup).
- Serve soup with avocado slices, cheese if desired and more tortilla strips on top.
- Recipe source: Easy Cooking Zone