Taco soup can be one of the most irresistible ways to eat your vegetables. This is a simple bean and vegetable soup, inspired by one of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes – tacos!
Although it uses simple ingredients, taco soup Packed With flavor, and some crispy tortilla strips on top really add that crunchy taco vibe.
It’s light yet filling, simple yet interesting, healthy yet comforting… and you can’t say that about many foods.

The base of the soup is a nutrient-dense blend of all my favorite vegetables—basically anything I’d normally put in tacos or fajitas. I also added some black beans, because they make the soup extra hearty with more protein—and you can’t beat a better black bean taco.
To add a taco-like crunch, I topped the soup with some crispy strips of tortilla – they’re like the Mexican version of a crouton! They add a different texture and flavor to the soup, which is really nice. You can use broken tortilla chips or taco shells if you prefer!
I also added some sliced avocado, but you can get any number of toppings – read below for some more ideas.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- It is absolutely packed with good, healthy ingredients.
- it is complete Taste!
- You can customize it with whatever vegetables or spices you like.
- The soup makes a great base for all kinds of toppings!
- It feels just as good in the middle of summer as it does on a cold winter’s day.
🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:

A few ingredient notes:
- vegetable. I used peppers, onions, mushrooms, and sweetcorn, but you can change them up if you like! Use what you normally put in your favorite vegetarian tacos.
- garlic
- spices. I like to start with my favorite fajita spice mix, to kick things up a bit. This time I added some extra cumin and smoked paprika.
- Canned tomatoes
- black beans
- Vegetable stock. I used a stock cube, but liquid stock would be fine too.
- Flour tortillas – To make crispy tortilla strips for topping.
You may want to prepare some additional toppings, such as:
- Sliced avocado
- fresh cilantro
- Chopped spring onions
- sour cream*
- grated cheese*
*(use vegan version if needed)
See printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient amounts.
🔄 Material Swap
To keep with the ‘taco soup’ theme, I usually use the same veggies I use in tacos or fajitas – peppers, mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn… but you can use completely different veggies if you want – just use whatever you have on hand. Do (I love a good freeze-clear!).
If you change the vegetables too much, your soup may lose the ‘taco’ vibe, but it should still be delicious!
Any vegetable that can be simmered for a while without becoming overly soft or soggy will work just fine.
🔪 Tools
I love using a silicone spoon when cooking something with a strong flavor, like this vegan taco soup – you’ll see my favorite bright pink in almost all of my recipe photos!
Unlike wooden spoons, silicone doesn’t absorb the flavors of your cooking, so you can use it in curry one day and custard the next, without any flavor contamination or staining. Silicone spoons are even dishwasher safe, helping to wash thoroughly.
My favorite shape is a spoon with slightly squared corners, because it makes it so easy to scrape the corners of a saucepan. You can buy them here on Amazon US/Amazon UK.

📋 Instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Saute peppers, onions and mushrooms in a large saucepan.
👌 Top tip
This soup can be cooked more quickly if you are pressed for time, but I think it is worth your time. Let the vegetables cook a little longer, on a slightly lower heat, to really enhance their flavor and make this a seriously delicious soup.

Step 2: Add the garlic and spices and let cook for a few minutes until your house smells like a Mexican restaurant.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients, and let the soup simmer for a while. The vegetables will soak up the delicious liquid and become soft and flavorful.

Step 4: While the soup is simmering, cut a large flour tortilla into strips.

Step 5: Fry the tortilla strips in a splash of oil until they are brown and crispy.
👌 Top tip
A pair of tongs is, by far, the best tool for making crispy tortilla strips. The tongs allow you to either move the strips as a whole, or to individually pick up and turn certain pieces when you see them browning.
I always use silicone-tipped tongs, like those on Amazon US/Amazon UK.

Step 6: Serve the soup topped with crispy tortilla strips and additional toppings of your choice.
💭 Taco Soup FAQs
They are very similar. Tortilla soup is a traditional Mexican soup, while taco soup is a Tex-Mex version. They have the same ingredients, so to be honest I think it’s valid to use the terms interchangeably – I’d be happy to call it ‘fajita soup’ too!
My favorite way to thicken a vegetarian soup is to add a handful of red lentils when you add liquid. They cook beautifully, and make the soup thicker and creamier.
This soup is great made ahead! Once it’s cooled, store it in a tub in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Don’t add the toppings until you’re ready to serve.
Yes! This type of soup can easily be frozen in an airtight tub. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave. Prepare the toppings just before serving.
🌮 More vegetarian Tex-Mex recipes

📖 Printable Recipes

Vegan Taco Soup (with Crispy Tortilla Strips)
This vegan taco soup uses simple ingredients, but it’s packed with flavor — and some crispy tortilla strips give it that crunchy taco vibe!
If you cook this recipe, don’t forget to give a star rating!
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Serving: 3 people
Calories: 377kcal
material
For the Vegan Taco Soup:
- 1 table spoon the oil
- 1 onion, cut or cut
- 2 pepper, cut into small strips (I used orange and yellow)
- 100 g (~ 3 ½ oz) mushrooms, sliced or diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Fajita spice mix
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 400 g Can of black beans, Drained (240 grams, or 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
- 400 g tin (~ 1 ⅓ cup) chopped tomatoes
- 200 g tin of sweetcorn, Drained (160 grams, or 1 cup, when drained)
- 500 Milli (~2 cups) vegetable stock
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips:
Additional toppings (optional):
instructions
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Heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until very tender – probably about 10 minutes.
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Add the garlic and spices, and cook for a few more minutes until the spices are fragrant.
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Then add the black beans, tinned tomatoes, sweetcorn and tin of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and let cook until everything is heated through and the vegetables are fully cooked. It will be ready to eat after just simmering for 10 minutes or so, but for a more flavorful soup leave it for 20 or even 30 minutes to let the flavors intensify.
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While the soup is simmering, prepare the crispy tortilla strips. Cut a large tortilla into strips. Heat a good splash of oil in a frying pan, then add the tortilla strips. Cook them on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring and turning regularly, until they are crisp and nicely browned.
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Serve taco soup topped with crispy tortilla strips and any other toppings of your choice.
Comment
The soup can be cooked in advance and reheated before serving if needed. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 days. Heat thoroughly in a saucepan or microwave and add toppings just before serving.
nutrition
Worship: 1 the part – Calories: 377 kcal – Sugars: 60.6 g – Protein: 13 g – Fat: 15.1 g – Saturated Fat: 1.8 g – Cholesterol: 0 mg – Sodium: 465 mg – Potassium: 982 mg – Fiber: 12.6 g – Sugar: 11.2 g – Calcium: 85 mg – Iron: 6 mg
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if your health requires accuracy.
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