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This creamy, flavor-forward, Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! It takes just 20 minutes to throw together and uses just a handful of pantry staple ingredients. It’s healthy but super hearty so the meat-eaters in your life won’t even realize that it’s totally vegetarian!
You’ll Love This
- It’s SO quick and easy! We are talking 20 minutes from start to finish. Which means you can walk in the door and have dinner on the table in a flash. The only prep required is chopping an onion and mincing a few cloves of garlic!
- It’s vegan, but you’d never know it! This vegan lentil tortilla soup is a delicious meatless meal, but it’s also hearty and loaded with tons of familiar Mexican flavors, fiber-filled beans, and veggies! Top it with delish garnishes – tortilla strips, sour cream, and fresh cilantro – and the meat-eaters in your life are never even going to know that it’s vegan!
- It’s a great meal prep recipe for a busy week! I love having a big pot of soup in the fridge for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week. This lentil tortilla soup and my Vegan Curry Lentil Soup are two of my favorite 20-minute soups!
- This vegan lentil tortilla soup reheats beautifully which makes it one of our family’s favorites. Spend 20 minutes prepping on Sunday and you’ve got healthy, hearty meals all week!
Instructions
Saute onion in olive for 3-4 minutes in a large heavy bottom pot.
Add garlic, cumin, chili powder and chiles in adobo.
Stir and cook for another minute.
Add black beans, corn, lentils, tomatoes.
Add V8 and coconut milk (this is my favorite brand!) along with a few large pinches of salt and pepper.
Stir to combine and simmer over medium heat.
Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through. Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish and enjoy!
Tips
- Don’t worry about the coconut milk giving this vegan lentil tortilla soup a coconutty flavor. The spices in this dish are going to flavor the coconut milk so much that you really won’t taste coconut at all. Also, the sweetness of the coconut milk is going to help balance out the acidity from the tomatoes which is why I love it in this recipe!
- If you’re not worried about this soup being vegan, you can substitute 3/4 of a cup of heavy cream in place of the can of coconut milk. You may have to add just a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes if you’re using heavy cream as you’ll be losing that hint of sweetness from the coconut milk.
- This is a simple recipe, so make sure that you salt LIBERALLY. Salt throughout the recipe and also season to taste with salt and pepper at the end too. Don’t be afraid of the salt in this recipe – it’s really going to boost the flavors of all the ingredients!
- Feel free to use whatever lentils you have on hand if you don’t have split red lentils. Split red lentils cooks in 5-7 minutes. But if you use another kind of lentil, you’ll have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Check the cook time on your lentils and start with the lowest recommend time. Taste the lentils throughout the cooking process and take the soup off the heat as soon as the lentils are tender and cooked through!
Family Favorites
- Vegan Curry Ramen Noodles
- Vegan Curry Lentil Soup
- Vegan Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Easy White Bean and Kale Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegan Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Lentil Tortilla Soup
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This creamy, flavor-forward, Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! It takes just 20 minutes to throw together and uses just a handful of pantry staple ingredients. It’s healthy but super hearty so the meat-eaters in your life won’t even realize that it’s totally vegetarian!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1–3 teaspoons chiles in adobo, optional
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup split red lentils
- 32 oz. V8 or other brand vegetable juice
- 1 (13.5 oz.) can full fat coconut milk
- juice of 1 lime
Garnish:
- tortilla strips
- sour cream
- sliced jalapeno
- fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, chili powder and chiles in adobo and cook, stirring frequently for another minute.
- Add black beans, corn, lentils, tomatoes, V8, and coconut milk along with a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through.
- Add the juice of 1 lime and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish and enjoy!
Notes
Don’t worry about the coconut milk giving this vegan lentil tortilla soup a coconutty flavor. The spices in this dish are going to flavor the coconut milk so much that you really won’t taste coconut at all. Also, the sweetness of the coconut milk is going to help balance out the acidity from the tomatoes which is why I love it in this recipe!
If you’re not worried about this soup being vegan, you can substitute 3/4 of a cup of heavy cream in place of the can of coconut milk. You may have to add just a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes if you’re using heavy cream as you’ll be losing that hint of sweetness from the coconut milk.
This is a simple recipe, so make sure that you salt LIBERALLY. Salt throughout the recipe and also season to taste with salt and pepper at the end too. Don’t be afraid of the salt in this recipe – it’s really going to boost the flavors of all the ingredients!
Feel free to use whatever lentils you have on hand if you don’t have split red lentils. Split red lentils cooks in 5-7 minutes. But if you use another kind of lentil, you’ll have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Check the cook time on your lentils and start with the lowest recommend time. Taste the lentils throughout the cooking process and take the soup off the heat as soon as the lentils are tender and cooked through!
- Category: Main Dish – Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican/American
Keywords: easy lentil soup, lentil tortilla soup, vegan chicken tortilla soup, vegan Mexican soup
Cindy
March 9, 2020 at 5:13 pmThis was very easy to make provided you have all the ingredients to hand. It was really delicious and you can adjust the amount of chilli you put in to your taste. I will definitely make this again. Thank you
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 9, 2020 at 9:12 pmI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Cindy! I totally agree – this is an easy “pantry ingredient” dinner! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Diane
May 7, 2020 at 3:33 amCan this be made in a crock pot?
Kylie Lato
May 7, 2020 at 9:41 amYes – you could totally cook this in the crockpot! Just add all ingredients to the crockpot insert. Then the cooking time will depend on whether you cook on high or low. If you choose high, I’d check the lentils after about an hour, if you choose low I’d check them after 2 hours. When the lentils are cooked through, the soup is ready!
Rebecca
March 10, 2020 at 8:57 amEasy to follow instructions with a delicious taste! Love using red lentils!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 10, 2020 at 9:41 amYay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Rebecca! Red lentils are my fave too – so tasty and they cook so quickly! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Agata
March 30, 2020 at 7:24 amThanks for this recipe, soup is so yummy and full of protein, love it!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 30, 2020 at 9:04 amAgata – I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review. I really appreciate it 🙂
Charity
March 13, 2020 at 11:25 amSo good and so easy!! Thank you. Next up, your creamy white bean and kale soup!!
ps so happy to find some new vegetarian recipes that are quick and easy
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 13, 2020 at 12:35 pmI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Charity! You will not be disappointed with that white bean soup – it’s one of my favorites! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Kristy
March 18, 2020 at 1:46 pmIs there a substitute for V8? I have tomato soup? Vegetable broth?
Kylie Lato
March 19, 2020 at 5:52 pmYes! I had one reader who made it with tomato soup and it worked great! I would highly recommend using that!
Barbara
March 20, 2020 at 7:18 pmThis recipe was fantastic. We really enjoyed the flavors. I used ancho chili powder instead of the chipotle. My husband and I are not fans of chipotle. I also cooked it in the instant pot. The coconut milk really added a lot to the texture. Very smooth. Thank you for this recipe. It will be my forever tortilla soup recipe!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 20, 2020 at 8:55 pmI LOVE ancho chili powder!! We used to get it all the time, but haven’t for a while. I definitely need to do add it to my list and give it a try in this soup. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Barbara – I really appreciate it 🙂
Morgan
March 22, 2020 at 2:33 pmLooks so great! I’m making it tonight for my husband and I in the crockpot. Should I I’m going to wait to add the coconut milk until 30 minutes before we eat, should I also wait to add the lentils? I don’t cook with them often so I don’t want to mess them up. Also, does this freeze well?
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 23, 2020 at 9:18 amYay! 1. You can add the coconut milk at the beginning – no problem with that. 2. You can add the lentils at the beginning also, just make sure you serve the soup as soon as the lentils are cooked through. 3. This freezes great! Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months! Also, when cooking in the crock pot – the cook time will depend on whether you do high or low. If you choose high, I’d check the lentils after about an hour, if you choose low I’d check them after 2 hours. When the lentils are cooked through, the soup is ready!
Katherine
March 24, 2020 at 10:13 amSO good! Had to change up a few ingredients but such a good twist on a lentil soup!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 24, 2020 at 1:57 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Katherine! And glad you were able to use what you had on hand. Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Diane
March 24, 2020 at 10:45 amLoved the recipe and the family loved it as well. I have people who don’t like tomatoes and even coconut and they loved this recipe as well. The only thing I added was roasted red pepper. My family is now asking for more which makes me happy and it’s affordable. Great recipe.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 24, 2020 at 1:56 pmI love the addition of roasted red pepper!!! What a great idea 🙂 Glad that your family enjoyed it – even the picky eaters! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Diane. I really appreciate it!
Rosita
March 25, 2020 at 12:57 amMy 16 year old daughter made this recipe for dinner last night. It was so delicious! It was creamy, rich and hearty. My whole my family loved it.!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 25, 2020 at 9:32 amYay!!! I love hearing that my recipes get kids in the kitchen!! And what a testament to how easy this recipe is – although I’m sure your daughter is an excellent cook! This is one of our family’s favorites and I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Rosita. I really appreciate 🙂
Penny | SparklingPenny
March 25, 2020 at 9:38 amLentils and tortillas are always in my store cupboard. This is the perfect meal for my hungry boys. Thank you for this.
Kylie Lato
March 25, 2020 at 9:46 amYES! Us too! This will be perfect for your kids. Thanks so much, Penny!
Lori
March 25, 2020 at 7:54 pmThis is the most delicious soup ever! So quick and easy to make. The only thing I will change when I make it next will be the amount of chili pepper. Lol. Probably just one teaspoon for me. The best part of this soup is…. leftovers!
Thank you,
Lori in St. Louis, MO
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2020 at 11:59 amLori – I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Nothing wrong with adjusting the spices to suit your taste; great tip for others too! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Marcia
March 30, 2020 at 11:11 amThis soup is super easy to make and soooooo delicious! Hearty and healthy!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 30, 2020 at 2:50 pmI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Marcia! Thanks for leaving a review!! 🙂
Jessie
March 30, 2020 at 1:08 pmMade this for my husband and I using Spicy Hot V8. Turned out to be one of the best tortilla soups either of us have ever eaten…didnt even miss the chicken! So so SO tasty with plenty of leftovers 🙂
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 30, 2020 at 2:49 pmI never thought to add the spicy V8 – that’s a great way to add some subtle spice! So glad that you guys enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Candice
March 30, 2020 at 2:22 pmThis recipe was easy to follow, simple ingredients and absolutely delicious. My whole family loved it. As I am trying to get them to eat more plant based meals, this recipe made it easy to help convince them!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 30, 2020 at 2:49 pmI am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Candice! They are always the toughest critics 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it.
Danielle Bohm-Meyer
March 30, 2020 at 7:04 pmOkay, this soup is going into the weekly meal rotation. It is so tasty, filling and easy to make. I added jalapeños, sour cream, vegan cheese and tortilla chips as garnish! Healthy comfort food! And so much good plant based protein. Try this recipe. You won’t regret it. And trust me, you don’t taste the coconut cream at all.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 31, 2020 at 10:21 amI could not agree more!! The coconut milk flavor really does disappear with all the other spices that are added. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe – and really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
Lisa
March 30, 2020 at 7:44 pmI do not often leave reviews on recipes, but this one is worth it! Absolutely delicious! I did not have a fresh jalapeno so I added a small can of diced green chilis. I do not care for cilantro so I added some dried parsley and coriander. I will make this again and again! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 31, 2020 at 10:19 amI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Lisa. And that you left a review! I really appreciate it. Your substitutions sound fantastic!
Elaine
April 3, 2020 at 12:15 pmI made this for a friend and they loved it! I saved some for my family as well and it was fantastic!!!! We will be making this one again and again!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 3, 2020 at 1:10 pmI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Elaine! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Christina
April 3, 2020 at 2:26 pmThis recipe was absolutely amazing! It was like a soup/chili. I did not even miss the meat, I don’t think any meat lovers would miss the meat either. The coconut milk (which I was able to find in my local supermarket, the same exact one that she recommended)
The flavors in this recipe are unbelievable! I will definitely try it again with different lentils as mine took a little bit longer to cook. Will absolutely make this again! Wonderful for if you are having guests coming over and if it is a little cooler outside. Make a little toppings bar, and everyone is satisfied! Thank you so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 3, 2020 at 3:39 pmWOOHOOO! This might be the best review ever!! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe – isn’t that brand of coconut milk the best?! Could not agree more – a soup bar would be a great way to feed a large group or host a fun dinner! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Kenny
April 3, 2020 at 8:10 pmThis soup was already off to a great start when I realized I had everything in my pantry to make it! (Except the Black beans, but I subbed in Pintos!) It was really easy and quick. I will definitely be making this again very soon! It was so delicious. 10/10 would recommend 😉
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 4, 2020 at 1:54 pmPinto beans are the perfect substitute for black beans in this recipe! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Kenny! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Gina
April 6, 2020 at 6:15 pmYummy and easy, plus used up lentils and coconut milk I had.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 6, 2020 at 6:39 pmWOOHOO! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Gina. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Tina Olivas
April 9, 2020 at 12:17 amVery delicious! Everyone loved it!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 10, 2020 at 10:53 amWOOHOO! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe. It’s one of our family’s favorites 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!
CP
April 9, 2020 at 10:57 pmDelicious! Will be a regular.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 10, 2020 at 10:51 amSo glad you enjoyed this recipe – thanks so much for leaving a review!
Christy C.
April 13, 2020 at 8:05 pmThank you for this recipe. I’m honestly making it again this evening because I still have adobo chiles and vegetable juice leftover from the last time I made this. You cannot taste coconut at all (I’m thankful!), and the lentils give hearty, toothy texture. My hubs doesn’t get home to eat dinner til around 11pm and this is so easy to throw together late! Thanks again.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 13, 2020 at 9:21 pmWoohoo! SO glad you enjoyed this soup, Christy! I agree about the coconut milk, although I’m a huge fan so I wouldn’t even mind if you could taste it. It adds such a creamy texture though – love love love it. Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it! 🙂
Ellery
April 14, 2020 at 8:55 pmDelish- def don’t need to use V8. Use tomato sauce instead. I also added Green chili’s for kicks
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 15, 2020 at 11:55 amLove the substitutions you used – glad you enjoyed it, Ellery!
Bob
April 24, 2020 at 8:40 pmMade this tonight. We are Vegan so made our own sour cream also roasted two ears of corn on the BBQ. Much better than canned corn. Loved the nice touch of heat and will freeze leftover.
Thanks for this yummy recipe.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 25, 2020 at 1:25 pmYummmm – grill corn would be amazing in this soup! I’ve never made my own sour cream; sounds delish! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Bob. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Renee
May 7, 2020 at 4:25 pmI want to make this for dinner tonight but don’t have any V8. I was thinking about substituting with half tomato sauce and half enchilada sauce. Thoughts?
Kylie Lato
May 7, 2020 at 5:20 pmYES – that combo would be a perfect substitute for V8! Great question, Renee!
Summer Yule
May 7, 2020 at 8:17 pmVery delicious recipe using ingredients in the pantry! I couldn’t get frozen or canned corn so I cut corn off the cob to make this. It was really great (though a little more work, of course). Thank you for the meal inspiration!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 8, 2020 at 11:58 amFresh corn from the cob would be AMAZING in this soup! Good call, Summer! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it! 🙂
Jenny Allen
May 10, 2020 at 8:01 pmThis was outstanding – definitely going into heavy rotation! THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 10, 2020 at 8:04 pmI am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Jenny! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
Amanda B
May 11, 2020 at 6:26 pmI made this tonight and it was very good. My one year old is a total soup kid and said it was delicious. I added a little less liquid and more lentils to make it a bit thicker and served with corn bread. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 11, 2020 at 9:51 pmIsn’t that funny – soup is my daughter’s favorite food! It’s the one thing that I know she’ll eat! 🙂 Cornbread sounds AMAZING with this. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Amanda!
Alice Norton
May 12, 2020 at 7:56 pmThis was wonderful! Even my husband who tends to dislike meals that don’t include meat was really loving it. Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 13, 2020 at 9:46 amYayy!!! I have a husband who feels the same way – his favorite thing to say about a vegan meal is “this would be great with chicken” 🙂 But he loves this soup too! I’m so glad that it was a hit in your house 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review, Alice!
Darcy
May 17, 2020 at 7:51 pmThis was the perfect soup for this rainy day but it would be amazing on any day! It was delicious! I will definitely be adding it to my meal planning rotation and probably many more of the other vegetarian recipes that I have found on your blog. 😊
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 17, 2020 at 9:17 pmThis IS a perfect rainy day soup!! So glad you enjoyed this one, Darcy! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂 Hope you and the fam are well!!