We’re never not in the mood for Mexican food — spicy sauces and salsas, crunchy chips, and tons of guacamole, what’s not to love! Typically, when craving Mexican food we always opt for tacos and burritos or quesadillas, but this time we’re taking a slightly different route and making a soup instead. A slightly spicy tomato based soup topped with all the bright zingy condiments that we love, this Mexican Tortilla Soup checkmarks everything you want from a Mexican meal.
This soup is warming, comforting, and makes a really great meal with rich, bold, smoky flavours that pack a punch. The base of the soup is made from onion and garlic that are sautéed until caramelised and tender. Next come the crushed tomatoes, and a combination of spices — roasted cumin, smoked paprika, and red chilli powder that provide a deep smokiness that’s delicious. Finally, we add the vegetable broth — or if you’re in a pinch, hot water does the trick too.The base soup is a pretty simple one-pot recipe, and you can bulk it up as per your liking by adding some veggies (zucchini, bell peppers and sweet corn go wonderfully), and a protein like black beans or shredded chicken. We let it all simmer together until slightly reduced, as we prep the toppings.
Speaking of toppings, let’s talk about the most important part of the dish… the tortilla strips!
Now, a Mexican Tortilla Soup needs to have tortilla strips. You can definitely use store bought corn tortillas, cut them into strips and bake or fry them off until golden brown. You can also make your own. If either of these options sound like too much work, you can use tortilla chips straight from a bag… we won’t judge! But I recommend not skipping them because it adds a much needed crunch to this hearty soup.
We like serving our soup with tortilla strips, sour cream, a fresh spicy pico de gallo salsa, fresh avocado slices, some coriander and a wedge of lime. When we’re looking for a more filling and complete meal, we serve this with some cilantro-lime rice in a bowl with the soup and all the fix-ins spooned on top.
Easy sour cream: Greek yogurt (or normal yogurt hung overnight in a muslin cloth to drain out excess water) + salt + lime juice. Make it vegan by omitting the sour cream, or using a vegan one instead.
Cilantro lime rice: Boiled Basmati rice seasoned with salt, a squeeze of lime, and tossed with chopped coriander
This would make a perfect weeknight dinner that’s comforting and delicious when you want something hearty, warm, and full of flavour.
- 2-3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 4-5 minced garlic cloves
- 1 capsicum, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeños (we used pickled jalapeños which are not very spicy, so if using fresh adjust the quantity as per spice tolerance)
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt + black pepper, to taste
- 8 medium tomatoes, puréed
- A dash of Tabasco / hot sauce
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or hot water)
- Optional: 1 cup black beans
- Cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla strips, chopped coriander
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a couple of minutes, or until caramelised and tender. Once cooked down add the capsicum and jalapeños.
- To this, add in the spices — cumin, red chilli, smoked paprika, and oregano, as well as salt and black pepper. Cook down for 3-4 minutes until it smells delicious and smoky.
- Tip in the puréed tomatoes and cook for another 8 minutes. Season with a dash of Tabasco or any other hot sauce of your choice.
- Add the vegetable broth (or hot water) to the soup base and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the soup to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Balance the flavours by adding more salt, a squeeze of lime, or a dash of hot sauce. If using black beans or chicken, add it in at this point and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes until slightly reduced.
- To serve, spoon the rice into bowls and ladle the soup over it. Garnish with toppings of choice or serve the condiments in separate bowls on the side for everyone to build their own bowl.
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy: Roasted Cauliflower Tacos, Black Bean and Zucchini Tacos, Portobello Mushroom Tacos, Salsa 2 Ways, Mango Salsa
Mexican tortilla soup is made with chicken broth, and many times shredded chicken is added…for those neon-vegan folks. Also, tortilla strips must be in there or it’s not actually Mexican tortilla soup. Another must, not optional, is cilantro, unless you are unable to tolerate that flavor. I have never seen it served over rice, but I guess, why not? Otherwise, it looks very tasty and healthy.