It’s soup season, folks, and this Smoky Vegan Tortilla Soup is guaranteed to make an appearance in the rotation throughout the fall! Its smokiness comes from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, one of my all-time favorite ingredients. Be careful how much you add, though, because the soup will end up being pretty spicy pretty fast! This one-pot meal is 100% vegan, but I do generally end up sprinkling it with sharp cheddar cheese. Oven-roasted tortillas top off this delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, sides removed and diced
1 can chipotle in adobo (see steps below on how much to use)
1 1/2 T. ground cumin
1/2 T. smoked paprika
1/2 T. chili powder
4 c. vegetable broth
1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
3/4 c. salsa verde
1 - 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 - 15 oz. can pinto beans
1 - 15 oz. can black beans
1 - 15 oz. can fiesta corn

Additionally, you’ll need corn tortillas, salt, pepper and olive oil cooking spray. To top, I’d recommend avocado and sharp cheddar cheese (vegetarian) or nutritional yeast (vegan).

STEPS

1) Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, once melted, add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

2) Add the bell pepper and jalapeño and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

3) Dice two of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and add them to the Dutch oven along with 1-2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce in the can. Add the cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder and season well with salt and pepper. Stir, allowing the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Drain the beans and corn. Add them to the Dutch oven along with the vegetable broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste and salsa verde. Stir well to combine, and bring the mixture to a boil.

5) Reduce to a low heat and allow to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour. Add more vegetable broth at any point if you’d like the soup to be runnier.

6) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the corn tortillas intro strips and place them on a baking sheet. Spray them evenly with olive oil cooking spray (this gets them crispier than with regular olive oil) and season them well with salt and pepper. Flip the tortillas, than spray and season for a second time.

7) Cook the tortillas for five minutes, then remove and toss. Cook for another five minutes, then remove and toss. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

8) When you’re ready to serve the soup, ladle it into a bowl and top with tortillas + other desired toppings.