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Creamy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Creamy vegetarian tortilla soup with red lentils and black beans simmered until tender, then finished with cream cheese for a velvety texture. One-pot tomato-broth soup topped with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro for crunchy-creamy contrast.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 onion diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper diced
¾ cup dried red lentils
  • 0.75 cup dried red lentils
1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
  • 1 cup corn
½ cup light cream cheese
  • 0.5 cup light cream cheese
3½ cups vegetable broth
  • 3.5 cup vegetable broth
15 oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
  • 15 oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
¾ cup salsa
  • 0.75 cup salsa
1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
crispy tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro, for topping
  • 1 crispy tortilla strips for topping
  • 1 avocado for topping
  • 1 cilantro fresh, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Keep them moving so they turn translucent and smell fragrant.
  2. Stir in smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cumin, cooking until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. The spices should darken slightly and bloom.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add red lentils, red bell pepper, black beans, corn, tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, salsa, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine so the lentils are evenly distributed.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender. Look for steady bubbling and soft lentils when pressed.
Make it creamy and serve
  1. Stir in light cream cheese and cook for an additional 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. The soup should look glossy and thickened.
  2. Ladle into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, and fresh cilantro. Add toppings last so the strips stay crisp.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, let the soup cool for 2 minutes off the heat before stirring in the light cream cheese, then return to low heat to simmer until creamy. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days in a sealed container; reheat gently, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is yes (without the toppings), but the lentils may soften further; thaw and reheat on the stove. For a dairy-free option, use dairy-free cream cheese in the same amount.