Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup
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 Will 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! If you love this soup, be sure to check out my Vegan White Chickpea Chili and Vegan Three Bean Chili!
- 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!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil – This is our family’s favorite olive oil. Look for one that is ideally cold-pressed and organic.
- Red Onion – You could also use yellow onion or white onion in place of the red onion in this recipe.
- Fresh Garlic – I really prefer fresh garlic for this recipe, but if you don’t have any on hand you could use 1/2-1 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of fresh.
- Cumin – I love adding cumin to chili because it adds such an earthy, warm flavor. Feel free to omit it if you don’t have any on hand.
- Chili Powder – The chili powder in this recipe is one of the key ingredients that gives it that classic chili flavor.
- Chipotles in Adobo – My favorite secret chili ingredient is chipotles in adobo. They add such a smoky depth of flavor to this chili.
- Black Beans – Feel free to add whatever beans you’ve got on hand. We’ve always got a can of black beans in the cupboard, but pinto beans or even kidney beans would work in their place.
- Corn – If you don’t have canned corn on hand, frozen will work in it’s place.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – Regular diced tomatoes or even crushed tomatoes would work just fine in place of the fire roasted diced tomatoes in this chili. The fire roasted flavor just adds more depth to the chili.
- Split Red Lentils – I like to use split red lentils for this recipe because they cook so quickly. You could use other lentils in place of the split red lentils, but keep in mind that you’ll likely have to increase the cooking time significantly to allow the lentils to cook through.
- V8 Vegetable Juice – You can use any brand of tomato based vegetable juice in place of V8 in this recipe.
- Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk – This is our family’s favorite brand of coconut milk. Be sure to grab the the canned coconut milk and not the stuff in the carton.
- Lime Juice – If you can use fresh squeezed limes that’s definitely best, but here is our family’s favorite lime juice that comes in a bottle.
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, split red lentils, tomatoes (these are my favorite fire-roasted diced 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!
FAQ
Yes! You can throw uncooked lentils into soup without soaking or cooking them before. In this soup, we use split red lentils which cook in about 5-7 minutes which make them ideal for a quick an easy dinner! Other colors of lentils will take considerably longer to cook, so be sure to buy split red lentils for this tortilla soup!
This vegan lentil tortilla soup is thickened with the addition of a can of full fat coconut milk. This gives the soup a deliciously creamy texture while thickening it slightly. You could sub heavy cream (about 1/2 a cup) in please of the coconut milk if you’re not worried about this soup being vegan.
This is not an Authentic Tortilla Soup Recipe
- This is in no way meant to be a classic tortilla soup recipe. This is my Midwestern vegan twist on tortilla soup using ingredients that my family commonly has in our kitchen.
- If you’re looking for some background history on this delicious Mexican dish, here’s a brief summary.
- While tortilla soup originally came from Mexico, the exact origin is actually still unknown, however, traditionally, tortilla soup is made with onion, garlic, chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, and fried tortilla strips.
Make these easy soups next!
Did you love this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Creamy Lentil Tortilla Soup
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!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish – Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican/American
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
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
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!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of soup
- Calories: 254
- Sugar: 7.7 g
- Sodium: 541.7 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.4 g
- Fiber: 8.1 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Okay, 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.
I 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!
Is it possible to sub out the coconut milk for unsweetened almond milk (that’s all I have on hand) or will it change the texture/taste?
I think it may change the texture and flavor, but it’s worth a shot! I’d recommend adding a bit less if you are going to use almond milk as it may end up thinning out the soup too much. Would love to hear how it turns out if you try it. Great question, Kylie. And I LOVE your name 😉
This 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!
I 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.
Made 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 🙂
I 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 🙂
This soup is super easy to make and soooooo delicious! Hearty and healthy!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Marcia! Thanks for leaving a review!! 🙂
This 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
Lori – 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 🙂
Lentils and tortillas are always in my store cupboard. This is the perfect meal for my hungry boys. Thank you for this.
YES! Us too! This will be perfect for your kids. Thanks so much, Penny!
My 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.!
Yay!!! 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 🙂
Loved 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.
I 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!
SO good! Had to change up a few ingredients but such a good twist on a lentil soup!
I’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 🙂
Do you need to soak the lentils overnight?
No soaking required! Split red lentils cook SUPER fast – like 5-7 minutes!
Looks 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?
Yay! 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!
This 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!
I 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 🙂
How long did you cook it in the instant pot?
I’m not sure if Barbara will see that you asked her a question, but I would guess that it would just need 3-5 minutes on the manual setting as you’re just cooking the red lentils which take about 5-7 minutes to cook through when simmered on the stove. Other lentils would definitely take a bit longer to cook through. Hope that helps, Adriana!
Is there a substitute for V8? I have tomato soup? Vegetable broth?
Yes! I had one reader who made it with tomato soup and it worked great! I would highly recommend using that!
I used a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce instead of the V8 and added a can of pinto beans. So yummy!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Amy! And that you were able to make substitutions based on what you had on hand. Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
So 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
I 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 🙂
Easy to follow instructions with a delicious taste! Love using red lentils!
Yay! 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 🙂
Does this give a strong coconut taste? If so are there any other good vegan substitutions you recommend? Making for a friend who isn’t a coconut fan. Thanks!
It does not! There are so many other spices in this soup that the coconut milk gives it a creamy texture, but it doesn’t have a ton of flavor. Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Thanks for this recipe, soup is so yummy and full of protein, love it!
Agata – I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review. I really appreciate it 🙂
This 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
I 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 🙂
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Yes – 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!
Hi could I use veggie stock instead of the V8?
Great question! You could definitely use stock instead of tomato juice – the soup will end up a bit thinner with a brothy base instead of a creamier tomato base. The flavors will be slightly different also but I think it could work! You could also use tomato sauce, tomato puree, or even diced tomatoes just to get that tomato flavor in there. Thanks Tahnee!