Description
This Roasted Black Bean Tortilla Soup is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and a blend of smoky spices. Perfect for a comforting meal, it offers a balance of creamy and chunky textures with optional blending and a variety of fresh, crunchy toppings like tortilla strips, avocado, and lime wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
Finishing Ingredients and Garnishes
- Juice of 1 lime
- Crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- Diced avocado
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add Spices: Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook the spices with the vegetables for about 1 minute to release their aromas and deepen the flavors.
- Build Soup: Add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and vegetable or chicken stock to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 15–20 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Blend (Optional): For a creamier texture, carefully blend about half of the soup using an immersion blender or transfer half to a standard blender and puree until smooth. Return the blended portion to the pot and stir to combine with the remaining chunky soup.
- Finish: Stir in the juice of one lime to brighten the flavors. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crispy tortilla strips or crushed chips, diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add a diced jalapeño when sautéing the aromatics.
- The soup can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To make it vegan, use vegetable stock and omit sour cream or replace with a plant-based alternative.
- If you don’t have fire-roasted tomatoes, regular canned diced tomatoes will work but with a slightly less smoky flavor.
- The optional blending step creates a creamier texture but can be skipped if you prefer a chunkier soup.
