by I’ve been making a couple different versions of Tortilla Soup for more than a decade. It was my favorite soup from a fast food Mexican restaurant, so I had created a version to make at home. Unfortunately, I lost my original recipe about 6 years ago. I recreated a version of the Mexican Gumbo (or Tortilla Soup) last year, and it is very good, but I felt like the flavor profile didn’t quite match the soup Qdoba Mexican Eats used to have on their menu that I loved.
I used a fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper in my original soup recipe, but today I changed it up & used Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce instead. I think I may finally found the flavor profile that more closely matches Qdoba’s Tortilla Soup. The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce gives it more of a smokey flavor that more closely matches the restaurant soup. Sadly, Qdoba discontinued the soup a few years ago, so I am basing this observation solely on memory. 😉
A great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to adapt to different tastes & the soup itself is vegan- which is important when your are trying to feed both vegetarians/vegans and meat eaters with the same meal.
I like to add just black beans, cooked brown rice, and corn into my soup bowl before ladling soup over the top for a hearty and filling vegan meal.
However, for the meat eaters in the family, I also grill (or slow cook) chicken breast(s) to add into the bowl along with the beans and rice. If your feeling ambitious, Fajita veggies (i.e. sautéed red & green peppers & red onion) would also be a great addition to add into the bowl before ladling the soup over the top.
Most important (IMO), this is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is a snap to throw together and have on the table in about 45 minutes.
Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (or your favorite oil) (optional- omit if using Instant Pot- see notes below)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (i.e. fire roasted)
- 32 oz vegetable broth, low sodium
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the juice of 1 lime)
For the Bowl:
- black beans
- cooked brown rice
- chicken or steak, cooked & cut into bite sized pieces or shredded (optional)
- fajita veggies (i.e. sautéed red & green peppers and onions) (optional)
- chopped avocado or guacamole (optional)
- tortilla chips
Instructions
Stove Top method:
- In a stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Reduce the heat slightly and add the garlic, chipotle peppers plus about a teaspoon of the sauce from the can, cumin oregano, chili powder, salt, and brown sugar to the pot. Stir until combined. Cook for 2 minutes to allow it to caramelize.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil; then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Stir in fresh squeezed lime juice.
Serving the soup:
- Add cooked/heated rice and beans to soup bowls. And/or add any other foods (i.e. cooked chicken, fajita veggies, etc). Ladle the soup over top. Serve with guacamole and chips. Enjoy!
