Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Butternut Squash Recipe
Make this spicy vegetarian tortilla soup with butternut squash and white beans for fall! It's vegetarian and packed with fiber from winter squash and white beans! Double up the recipe and freeze for later. I love to serve this soup garnished with avocado, cheese, cilantro and lime!
Hope you like white bean soup because I've got another recipe in store for you today (after sharing my epic simple white bean soup recipe last week!). But this butternut and white bean tortilla soup has a totally different flavor profile - sweet and smoky from the butternut squash, fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle chili powder, plus a hit of spice and fresh, herby cilantro! Oh, and there's avocado involved.
You can blame the soup trend on the lingering cold I've been battling all week. It's Hummusapien's fault! She was basically my wifey at FNCE a couple weeks ago and got sick about a day before me when we got back home. For some reason I just can't seem to kick it. Almost two weeks later I still have a lingering sore throat! So, soup it is.
If you're looking for a fun seasonal take on tortilla soup, this recipe is for you! I love to cook with winter squash when it's in season, but I get a little bored with the same 'ole flavor combinations of maple syrup, cinnamon and butter. My favorite way to eat winter squash is actually in spicy dishes, as sweet and spicy is one of my favorite flavor combinations.
How to Make this Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Butternut Squash Recipe
While I love a lazy fall Sunday simmering soup on the stovetop, I also love freshly cooked soup every other day of the week. This vegetarian tortilla soup is packed with flavor thanks to all the yummy spices, but takes hardly any time at all, making it weeknight friendly too.
This vegetarian tortilla soup is incredibly easy to make, so it’s become a go to recipe for chilly fall nights. To make it, first saute the jalapeno and onion, the add the garlic and spices. Sautéing the spices warms their oils and brings out their flavor even more. Then add diced butternut squash, canned tomatoes, and broth, and simmer until the squash is tender. Stir in the white beans at the end to warm through so they retain their texture. And while the soup is simmering, prep the toppings. It really is that easy!
Toppings for this Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Butternut Squash Recipe
The toppings for this vegetarian tortilla soup totally make the recipe. I like to call soup toppings salad bling! When you perfect a simple soup recipe, like this vegetarian tortilla soup, my white bean soup, or my roasted sweet potato and cauliflower soup, you can easily bring it up a notch with flavorful toppings.
For this vegetarian tortilla soup, I used crispy strips of fried corn tortillas, sliced avocado, cilantro, thinly sliced radish, queso fresco (or feta), and lime. You could also use grilled corn kernels sliced off the cob, grated cheddar, scallions or sliced jalapeno.
Recipe Adaptions for This Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Recipe
While this tortilla soup with butternut squash recipe is vegetarian, you could easily use chicken if you like! To make it just as quick and easy, I would use shredded chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken. You could add it in addition to the white beans, or replace them as the protein source.
Feel free to make this with different types of winter squash or even sweet potatoes. Delicata and kabocha are two of my favorites in the fall. You could also use pinto beans or black beans instead of white beans.
Butternut Squash Tortilla Soup with White Beans
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1/4 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 medium butternut squash, stemmed, peeled, seeded and chopped
14-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups cooked white beans
Strips of tortilla fried in olive oil, for serving
Sliced avocado, for serving
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Crumbled feta or queso fresco, for serving
Sliced radishes, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeno and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander and chipotle chili. Stir to combine and saute 2 minutes.
Add squash, stir, and saute 5 minutes. Pour in tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 25 minutes until the squash is tender.
Stir in white beans and cook to warm through. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve garnished with fried avocado strips, avocado slices, cilantro, lime and cheese.
If you like this vegetarian tortilla soup recipe, you might also like these sweet and spicy winter squash recipes:
Pumpkin Sweet Potato Bisque
Chipotle Roasted Kabocha and Kale Salad
Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Rice Bowl with Lime Crema
