SOUP SUNDAY: Quinoa Tortilla Soup

2021-10-05

Swap the chicken for quinoa in this healthy vegetarian Quinoa Tortilla Soup recipe! Quinoa is high in fiber and protein and makes a great non-meat alternative in this spicy Mexican soup.

I am so so excited to reveal a new series kicking off this year on THM! By now it is no secret that I love soup. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I could live off soup and balls and be perfectly content for life. I pretty much eat soup everyday for lunch and if C isn’t around to complain, I’ll eat it for dinner (not giving him a bad rap- he just doesn’t necessarily want soup everyday for dinner!)

And while there certainly are plenty of soup options around here, I am bursting with so many ideas that I just have to share more. So with that, I am thrilled to announce SOUP SUNDAY!

Every Sunday through the winter months, I will be posting a new soup recipe. My hope is that this recipe will help feed you throughout the week. Making a big batch of soup to have on hand for lunches and dinners is how I meal-prep and selfishly I want you to get on board with me.

I also believe that soups are one of the easiest recipes to make for people of any cooking level. Mostly because you really can’t go wrong. Even if the measurements aren’t 100% perfect, there’s a pretty good chance your soup will turn out anyway…unless you accidentally add cinnamon instead of cumin!

I love every single one of you so much, but man are some of you terrible at following directions! I can sympathize, because the whole reason I write a blog is because I have to make up recipes and cannot follow them, but it gets my gears grinding when you totally ignore my instructions and then complain that the recipe didn’t turn out….ehewiuthrgrenihgiwuwr <—said every food blogger ever.

The majority of you are amazing and can apparently read directions, but for those of you who can’t, soup recipes allow me to rest easy knowing there’s a decent chance it’ll turn out anyway!

But the best part about soups is that they can be seriously healthy but still delicious. I swear by soups to get in my vegetables and some soups even have the power to cure the common-cold.

Better yet, they are a meal in one! Soups like this Quinoa Tortilla Soup are packed with protein, veggies and carbs for a complete meal. But even for those ones that aren’t, it’s nothing a little avocado toast on the side can’t fix.

So I hope you’re equally as excited as I am about Soup Sunday! I have some epic recipes lined up, but I also want to hear, which soup recipes you want to see a healthy makeover on. I also hope you’ll expand your palate and try some new recipes you’d never thought of trying before. Stay tuned for some goodies coming your way!

Quinoa Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6-8 bowls 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
8 cups vegetable stock
1 4 ounce can of diced green chilis
3/4 cup white quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
juice, 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more for extra spicy
6 corn tortillas (if making tortilla crisps)
Top with: avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, green onion, or toppings of choice

Instructions

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
Add in yellow onion and saute until translucent (about 3-4 mins).
Add in garlic cloves and cook for 1 more minute.
Add in bell pepper and cook for another minute.
Top with diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, green chilis, quinoa, black beans and corn.
Add in spices and bring soup to a boil.
Once boiling, cover with lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Top with lime juice, cilantro and cayenne if using.
Add to bowls and sprinkle with toppings of choice.

*For Homemade Tortilla Crisps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice corn tortillas in half and then into thin crisps.
Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins or until browned.
Sprinkle on soup or store in a paper bag on counter top for several days.