Photo by Anna Sergeeva
Smoky cumin, fresh tomato, sweet corn, cilantro and jalapeño give this vegan tortilla soup layers of flavor, while pinto beans and quinoa make it hearty enough for dinner. Roasted jackfruit gets browned and crispy at the edges, then joins the soup along with creamy avocado and a very generous handful of crushed tortilla chips. I also love the addition of poultry seasoning for that chicken-y vibe you might expect from tortilla soup.
The broth is tomatoey, a little spicy and full of all those aromatic tortilla soup flavors. The quinoa soaks it all up while adding a pleasant chewiness, and the toppings bring plenty of cool, creamy crunch. Every spoonful is a little different, which is the fun of tortilla soup. It’s a little party!
And it all comes together in 30 minutes or under. The trick is to roast the jackfruit while you make the soup, chopping and adding the ingredients as you go. The jackfruit needs only about 15 minutes in the oven, just enough time to develop crisp edges and a pull-apart chick’n texture. By the time the soup is ready, so is the jackfruit. Cook more, say less!
Why Roast The Jackfruit?
Jackfruit has a naturally shreddy texture, but straight from the can it can be a little soft and briny and dare I say…rubbery. Roasting it with olive oil and salt concentrates the flavor, dries it out slightly and gives all those little shreds browned, crispy edges.
It’s a small step, but it makes the jackfruit much more hearty with fantastic texture that doesn’t disappear in the soup. Be sure to use young green jackfruit packed in brine, not ripe jackfruit packed in syrup. That would be a very different soup.
How This Vegan Tortilla Soup Comes Together So Fast
This recipe is from The 29-Minute Vegan, so the order of operations is part of the recipe. Get the jackfruit into the oven first, then start the soup. Chop each ingredient while the previous one cooks instead of prepping everything before you begin.
Frozen precooked quinoa is another shortcut here. It goes directly into the broth and needs only a few minutes to heat through. You can use store-bought frozen quinoa or freeze your own cooked quinoa in portions for future soup emergencies.
Tortilla Soup Toppings Are Mandatory!
Okay, the soup police will not actually come to your house. But tortilla soup without toppings is simply unfinished.
Diced avocado adds creaminess, cilantro brings the fresh, verdant energy and crushed tortilla chips provide the salty crunch. Add fresh jalapeño slices if you want more heat (and you do). You could also finish each bowl with a squeeze of lime, a spoonful of vegan sour cream or a few thinly sliced scallions.
Quinoa Tortilla Soup FAQ
Can I use regular cooked quinoa? Yes. Use about 2 cups of cooked quinoa and add it at the same point in the recipe. Since it isn’t frozen, the soup may need a minute or two less on the stove.
Can I make it less spicy? Remove the jalapeño seeds or leave out the jalapeño altogether. You can always serve sliced jalapeños on the side for anyone who wants more heat.
Can I substitute black beans? Absolutely. Black beans work perfectly in place of the pinto beans.
Does tortilla soup keep well? Yes, but store the toppings separately. The soup will thicken as the quinoa absorbs more broth, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating. Refrigerate it in a tightly sealed container for up to four days.
Is it gluten-free? The soup ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check your vegetable broth, poultry seasoning and tortilla chips to make sure they are gluten-free if needed.
More Vegan Soups to Keep You Warm All Season
Quinoa Tortilla Soup With Roasted Jackfruit
Notes
Ingredients
For the roasted jackfruit:
- 1 14 ounce can young green jackfruit in brine drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Big pinch of salt
For the soup:
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeño
- 10 ounces frozen corn
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 12 ounces frozen precooked quinoa
For garnish:
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Tortilla chips crushed
- Fresh jalapeño slices
Instructions
Roast the jackfruit:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Toss it with the olive oil and salt directly on the baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy at the edges.
While the jackfruit roasts, start the soup:
- Preheat a soup pot over medium heat. Dice the onion and add it to the pot with the olive oil. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until translucent.
- Mince the garlic and finely chop the jalapeño, removing the seeds for less heat. Add them to the pot and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the frozen corn and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to soften. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot, breaking them down with your spoon as they cook.
- Chop the cilantro and add it along with the cumin and poultry seasoning. Let everything cook together for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the pinto beans, then pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the frozen quinoa, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until everything is hot and the flavors have come together.
- Add the roasted jackfruit to the soup. Ladle into wide bowls and top generously with diced avocado, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips and fresh jalapeño slices.
I made this for dinner and everything was coming together really quickly until I hit the part where I needed frozen pre-cooked quinoa. I ended up just throwing dry quinoa into the soup and it turned it nicely thick. It ended up a lot like the other PPK recipe, Black Bean Quinoa Soup.
I’m glad it came out ok! I did put a note as well as listed it but I’m still sorry. If anyone else is reading this and missed it: “Frozen precooked quinoa is another shortcut here. It goes directly into the broth and needs only a few minutes to heat through. You can use store-bought frozen quinoa or freeze your own cooked quinoa in portions for future soup emergencies.”
I made stock, quinoa and beans on the weekend, roasted the corn today, and then started the clock to see if I could do it in 29 minutes 🙂 I’m more of a prep everything ahead of time then start cooking kind of cook. I tried to do it as I went…it took me longer than 29 minutes, lol, but I think it went pretty well. The end result is delicious. Thank you for creating such a great recipe. Yummy Yum!
The next time will be faster 🙂
🙂
I am loving 29 Minute Vegan! All the recipes are so creative. And we loved this recipe with lots of lime juice
Thanks so much!