Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
8 hrs
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Total Time
8 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
582 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Mexican
Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
Description
This soup begins with sautéing diced onion, red and green bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. These onions and peppers provide a fragrant and colorful base. The mixture is transferred to a slow cooker, where lentils, black beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, green chiles, corn, cream cheese, and vegetable broth combine and cook slowly until lentils are tender but intact.
The result is a thick, richly spiced vegetarian soup with a blend of textures from beans, lentils, and corn. The cream cheese melts into the broth, smoothing and enriching it. The smoky and mildly spicy notes come from the smoked paprika and green chiles, balanced with the acidity of fire-roasted tomatoes.
It is typically served hot with optional toppings like tortilla strips, diced avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, Pico de Gallo, jalapeños, minced onions, and fresh cilantro, offering customizable flavors and textures to enhance each serving.
Variations include stove-top and Instant Pot preparations, where the cream cheese is whisked in after cooking to avoid curdling. This recipe yields about six servings of 1 to 1.5 cups each.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp cumin ground
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano Mexican oregano is amazing, but regular will also work, dried
- 15 oz can black beans undrained
- 15 oz can pinto beans undrained
- 1 cup corn regular frozen corn will also work, frozen, fire-roasted
- 1 cup green lentils or brown lentils
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes undrained, fire-roasted
- 4 oz can diced green chiles undrained
- 8 oz cream cheese softened or cut into cubes
- 4 cups vegetable broth reduced sodium
Toppings (all optional)
- tortilla strips or tortilla chips
- avocado diced or sliced
- sour cream
- lime wedges
- Pico de Gallo
- jalapeños sliced, fresh or pickled
- onion minced, white or red
- cilantro fresh, minced
Instructions
Prepare
- Dice and mince all fresh produce, open cans, measure corn, and measure spices. Get out slow cooker and large skillet.
Sauté vegetables
- Heat a large skillet over MED heat. Once hot, add oil.
- Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add garlic and cook about another minute, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook another 30 seconds or so, stirring well to get everything combined.
Slow cook
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to the insert of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add black beans, pinto beans, frozen corn, lentils, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, cream cheese, and vegetable broth.
- Stir well to combine, then cover, and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for 4 hours, or until lentils are tender, but not overly mushy.
Serve
- Stir the soup to fully incorporate the cream cheese into the soup mixture.
- Serve hot, topped with desired toppings.
Notes
- This recipe serves about 6 portions, each around 1 to 1.5 cups.
- For Instant Pot, add cream cheese after cooking by whisking with soup liquid before stirring back in.
- On the stove-top, add cream cheese after simmering until lentils are tender.
- Using different lentil varieties may require adjusting cooking times.
- Top with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, or fresh herbs for varied flavors.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 582 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 582kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 78g | 26% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 743mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 1213mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 27g | 108% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 2537IU | 51% |
| Vitamin C | 54mg | 60% |
| Calcium | 183mg | 18% |
| Iron | 8mg | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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