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Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup

A smoky, hearty lentil soup with classic tortilla soup flavor, ready in under an hour with no pre-soaking required.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 jalapeño diced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced, plus 1 tbsp sauce
  • 1 can 15 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup dried green or brown lentils rinsed
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt to taste
Toppings: tortilla strips, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sliced jalapeño

Equipment

  • Large soup pot or Dutch oven
  • Cutting board and knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Citrus juicer (optional)

Method
 

  1. Sauté onion in olive oil 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño, cook 1 minute.
  2. Add chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, stirring 30 seconds to bloom.
  3. Stir in chipotle, adobo sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
  4. Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender.
  5. Stir in corn during the last 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and season with salt to taste.
  7. Serve topped with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Notes

  • Don't skip blooming the spices, it builds real depth of flavor.
  • Serve tortilla strips on the side so they stay crunchy.
  • Soup thickens as it sits, thin with extra broth when reheating.
  • Keeps refrigerated up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
  • For red lentils: reduce simmer time by about 10 minutes.