This comforting Vegan Tortilla Soup with Hominy has authentic Mexican flavor with simple ingredients. Fire-roasted tomatoes and a few pantry staples make this the perfect plant-based weeknight dinner.
How to Create Authentic Mexican Flavor with an Oil-Free Sofrito
The secret to the authentic flavor in this vegan tortilla soup comes from a Mexican sofrito: onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime zest, and spices. These ingredients are sauteed together first, developing the flavors that become the base for this soup. You create a wonderful balance with sweetness from the onion, umami from the garlic, spicy from the jalapeno, brightness from the lime, and smokiness from the cumin.
Creating this sofrito is similar to using a mirepoix in French recipes or the “holy trinity” in Creole cuisine. It is the foundational step for building layers of flavor.
Oil-Free Tortilla Strips
Another essential element to this plant-based tortilla soup are the crispy baked tortilla strips. Any store-bought tortilla strips are going to be cooked in oil and high in fat. However, it’s really easy to bake your own oil-free tortilla strips. First, preheat your oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut your tortillas into thin strips then spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until crispy. Remove from the oven, let cool and that’s it!
Hominy Adds Hearty Vegan Texture
Another ingredient I love in this recipe is hominy. So what is hominy? Hominy is corn that has been treated with lye (or another alkaline solution) to remove the outer skin. This process, called nixtamalization, makes the corn “poof” up into fluffy-looking kernals. Hominy has a wonderful, hearty texture. Plus, the removal of the outer layer helps make the corn more digestible.
Substitutes for Hominy:
If you can’t find hominy, you can substitute with canned chickpeas, frozen corn, or even black beans.
Vegan Tortilla Soup with Hominy
- Easy
- Servings: 6
- Ready In: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 Cups
Enjoy this recipe with 5 Minute Guacamole and finish the meal with Spicy Mexican Chocolate Sauce with Pineapple. If you like this, you’ll also love: Red Quinoa Enchiladas Rojas, Oaxacan Mole Mexican Vegan Buddha Bowl, and Stewed Black Beans.
Print Recipe
Vegan Tortilla Soup with Hominy
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro stems and leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram or Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- 1 28-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
- 8 corn tortillas
Instructions
- To bake the Tortilla Strips: Preheat your oven to 350F. Set aside 3 of the tortillas for the soup. Thinly slice the remaining 5 tortillas. Spread them into an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F until golden and crispy, about 25-30minutes. Toss every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
- To make the Sofrito: In a large soup pot, combine the onion and jalapeno. Begin sweating over medium heat. Zest the lime and add it to the pot. Separate the cilantro leaves from the stems. Save the leaves for serving and the end of cooking. Chop the stems and add them to the pot. Add the cumin, marjoram, coriander, and garlic. Cook until aromatic, about 7-8 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the hominy. Slice the reserved 3 tortillas into thin strips. Add the canned tomatoes, water, and hominy. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes, until flavors meld and the tortillas have dissolved into the soup. You can use a firm spoon to help with this.
- To serve the soup:
- Slice the lime into wedges.
- When the soup is ready, ladle it into bowls. Garnish with the fresh cilantro. Top with tortilla strips and serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving (1/6 recipe, about 1 1/2 cups + 1 tortilla)
Calories 206.44
Calories From Fat (10%) 19.78
% Daily Value
- Total Fat 2.36g 4%
- Saturated Fat 0.35g 2%
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 649.99mg 27%
- Potassium 503.07mg 14%
- Total Carbohydrates 42.82g 14%
- Fiber 7.96g 32%
- Sugar 9.36g
- Protein 6.03g 12%
- Calcium 18.23mg 2%
- Iron 93.96mg 522%
- Vitamin C 6755.92mg 11260%
Shopping and Gear List
- Annatto Seed Ground
- McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Cumin
- The Spice Hunter Marjoram
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