A good tomato soup is a wonderful thing. Not only is it delicious on its own, but it can also provide a solid foundation for so many other meals. This Quick Tomato Tortilla Soup is built on the foundation of a basic tomato soup, but takes on an exciting personality with some zippy herbs and spices, and of course, crunchy tortillas on top!
I'll walk you through how to make this little gem, and at the end I'll share a really great way to give the leftovers a brand new life of their own with my tortilla soup enchiladas.
What you'll need to make this recipe
Ingredients
- Canned tomatoes: Because we're blending the soup, you can use whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes. The better the quality of tomatoes you use, the better your soup will be.
- Water or stock: I often just use water here, but if you have some chicken or veggie stock you can use that too.
- Onion: For the best background flavor and body.
- Celery: For its aromatic quality.
- Carrots: For sweetness and more body.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic makes just about any soup better!
- Jalepeño: For just a hint of heat.
- Spices & seasonings: Salt, ground cumin, and chili powder.
- Oil: Any oil will do. I normally use olive or avocado.
Equipment
No fancy equipment needed here, just a pot or Dutch oven, a wooden spoon for stirring, and a cutting board and knife for chopping.
How to make this soup
This quick and easy soup comes together in under 30 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights. Here are the steps:
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, & jalapeño in the oil along with the salt.
- Sauté the veggies over medium high heat for 5 minutes until they soften slightly. Covering with the lid helps the veggies sweat with the steam trapped inside.
- Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.
- Add the tomatoes and water (or stock if using). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Blend until smooth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Pour the soup into bowls and adorn with tons of fresh toppings.
What kind of toppings go well with this soup?
The meat of this soup (mind the pun, it’s actually vegetarian) really lies in the toppings.
A few ideas:
- Tortilla chips - homemade or store-bought both work great! Instructions on making your own below.
- Chopped Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Sliced green chiles or pickled jalapeños
- Cooked spicy sausage
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Fresh corn or corn salsa (grilled/roasted corn would be amazing)
- Black beans
The list goes on. Comment with your topping ideas below!
How to make homemade tortilla crisps
For the tortilla component of the tortilla soup, the easiest approach is to crush up some store bought tortilla chips. But if you're feeling industrious, it's pretty easy to make your own tortilla crisps. Here's how to do it:
- Slice corn or flour tortillas into strips
- Coat the strips lightly with oil, or spray with avocado oil spray on both sides.
- Sprinkle the strips with salt and other seasonings (paprika, cajun seasoning, or chili powder are all good options!)
- Bake the tortilla strips for about 12 minutes on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F.
Should you host a tortilla soup party?
What a great idea! The abundance of topping options for this quick tortilla soup makes it a great thing to serve at a party. Everyone gets to jazz up their own bowl however they want. I am a huge fan of feeding people something that they get to top themselves. Baked potato parties are another personal favourite of mine for that reason.
Next day leftovers (nextovers)
Nextovers is a bit of a cutesy name, but it really makes sense. They’re the most clever kind of leftovers. The concept: Making a big batch of something and reheating it the next day is kinda boring, right? Nextovers are when you make one basic thing, and add a new twist to it each day you eat it.
This tortilla soup makes great nextovers because it’s blended and smooth. And although it is flavourful, its flavour profile also makes it quite flexible. It can be taken a few different culinary directions pretty easily.
Nextovers recipe: Tomato Tortilla Soup Enchiladas
Here's how to take this quick tortilla soup and turn it into the sauce for some simple black bean and corn enchiladas.
- Cover the bottom of a 9” ovenproof glass dish with a few ladles of leftover tortilla soup. This is your enchilada sauce.
- In a sauté pan, throw together some frozen corn, black beans, a few spoonfuls of tortilla soup, a pinch of chili powder, and some fresh cilantro. Cook until the corn is defrosted and warm and the mixture looks tasty. (You can really make any mixture you want here. If you have shredded chicken - throw it in. Pulled pork? You bet. Got an old zucchini in the back of the fridge? Chop it up and get it in there. This is your moment to use what you’ve got, and what you’re in the mood for.)
- Roll a small amount of this mixture into 6-8 corn tortillas, and nestle those seam side down into the soupy bottom of the ovenproof baking dish. Use as many tortillas as you need to fill the dish.
- Cover with a few more ladles of the soup, sprinkle with cheese, and bake in a 425 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes. It should be nice and bubbly and golden brown.
- Top your enchiladas with sour cream, more fresh cilantro, more avocado, squeeze it with lime, and enjoy!
the "nextover" strategy is one of my favourite approaches to weeknight dinners. Start with a base, riff on it, and let it evolve throughout the week. This is the best way to keep your fridge organized, your taste buds excited, and your grocery bill low.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! The soup base is already vegetarian. For a vegan version, simply skip the sour cream topping or use a plant-based alternative, and ensure your tortilla chips are made without animal products.
The soup has a mild heat from one jalapeño pepper. You can adjust the spiciness by removing the seeds from the jalapeño (milder) or adding extra peppers (spicier). The chili powder also adds a gentle warmth.
While I recommend canned tomatoes for consistency and convenience, you can use fresh tomatoes when they're in season. You'll need about 4-5 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, to replace one 28-oz can.
The soup base keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store toppings separately and add them fresh when serving to maintain their texture and freshness.
If too thick, simply add more water or stock until you reach desired consistency. If too thin, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken the soup.
Still Hungry?
I hear you. If you like this recipe, you'll probably also like these quick and delicious soup recipes:
- Tomato Coconut Soup
- Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Spring Minestrone
- Coconut Corn Chowder
- Summer Fish Stew
- Easy Corn Chowder
I hope you love this soup recipe! Let me know if you make it by tagging me on Instagram @howtomakedinner.
Quick Tomato Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven To cook the soup in
- Cutting board and knife To chop the veggies
- Wooden spoon To stir the soup
- Immersion blender Or regular blender, to blend the soup.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil olive or vegetable
- 1 onion medium-large
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 carrots
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder American-style or ancho
- 540 grams canned tomatoes 1 large can, whole, chopped, or crushed
- 500 millilitres water or stock
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, & jalapeño in the oil along with the salt.
- Sauté over medium high heat for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened slightly. Covering with the lid helps the veggies sweat with the steam trapped inside.
- Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and water or stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Blend until smooth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Pour into bowls and adorn with tons of fresh toppings like avocado, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, corn, and of course, crunchy tortillas!
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