This Vegan Southwest Soup is a hearty soup filled with bold Tex-Mex flavors. Each bowl is loaded with corn, beans, peppers, and more! A cozy, nourishing meal.
This soup is a Southwest Salad but in a warm, cozy, liquid form.
It is delightfully chunky - there's so many textures! I love the corn and beans and tomatoes all bursting in your mouth.
The soup is slightly spicy but not in any way hot. If you want to add more heat you can increase the chipotle in adobo. Or even add an entire chipotle. The spice is totally up to you.
Either way, the soup is cozy, yet bold. A delicious dinner!
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What Is Southwest Soup?
Southwest soup is inspired by the bold flavors of the American Southwest. It usually has ingredients like beans, corn, peppers, tomatoes, and spices.
As with the salad version, the soup also often is topped with tortilla strips for some crunch.
This vegan version keeps all the Southwest flavor while using plant-based ingredients like beans, corn, and optional seitan chicken for protein.
Why You'll Love This Vegan Southwest Soup
- Hearty & filling - packed with beans, corn, and optional seitan chicken, it's a complete meal.
- Bold flavors - smoky spices, jalapeño, and creamy toppings
- Vegan & customizable - naturally vegan with gluten-free options, plus flexible toppings
- One-pot meal - everything simmers together, making cleanup easy
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Red Onion: a yellow onion also works
- Bell Pepper: any color works
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Garlic
- Sauce from canned chipotles in adobo: I measured out the sauce from a can of adobo peppers. If you don't have a can on hand, feel free to use chili powder
- Spices: salt, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper
- Vegetable Broth
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: these add a deep flavor to the soup, but feel free to use regular tomatoes
- Black Beans: feel free to use pinto beans
- Corn: I used frozen corn - which tends to not have added sugar. But feel free to also use canned or fresh if it's available.
- Non Dairy Yogurt or Sour Cream: I used Kite Hill's non-dairy greek style yogurt, but feel free to use any unsweetened yogurt or vegan sour cream
- Vegan Chicken: this is optional - the soup is delicious without it. I used my Vegan Seitan Chicken which is my go-to recipe for vegan chicken. It's made from vital wheat gluten which is super high in protein, and spices that mimic the flavor of real chicken. If you don't want to make seitan (though mine is no-boil) or are gluten-free feel free to use a store bought vegan chicken like Abbot's or sub with some sautéed tofu or tempeh.
Toppings
- Avocado
- Tortilla Strips: you can use store-bought tortilla strips (often found in the produce section, not the chip aisle) or make my homemade version or follow my instructions for oil-free tortilla chips and cut the tortillas into strips instead of triangles
- Shredded Vegan Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion, pepper, and jalapeño for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
Step 2. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3. Add the broth, tomatoes, corn, and beans. Bring to a simmer, then let cook 10 minutes.
Step 4. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt/sour cream and vegan chicken, if using.
Step 5. Top with tortilla strips, avocado, vegan cheese, and cilantro.
FAQ & Expert Tips
The soup has a mild heat. Add more spice with an additional jalapeño, more chili powder, or more adobo sauce.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Keep any toppings like avocado and tortilla chips separate.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this nutrient-dense and comforting soup. Amen.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Southwest Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Large Red Onion diced
- 1 Medium Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Medium Jalapeño Pepper seeded and small diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon Sauce from canned chipotles in adobo OR 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 14 Ounce Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 15 Ounce Can Black Beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 Ounce Can Corn drained and rinsed OR 1.5 Cups Frozen Corn
- ¾ Cup Non Dairy Yogurt or Sour Cream
- 1 Recipe Vegan Seitan Chicken optional
- 1 Medium Avocado for topping
- ½ Cup Tortilla Strips for topping
- ½ Cup Shredded Vegan Cheese for topping
- Chopped Cilantro for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion, pepper, and jalapeño for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, corn, and beans. Bring to a simmer, then let cook 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt/sour cream and vegan chicken, if using.
- Top with tortilla strips, avocado, vegan cheese, and cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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