Description
A cozy and nourishing vegetarian tortilla soup simmered in a crockpot, featuring lentils, beans, corn, and a variety of garnishes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper
- 1 cup corn
- 3/4 cup dried red lentils
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper
- 3/4 cup salsa
- 15 ounces black beans
- 15 ounces red beans
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup light cream cheese
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Garnishes: crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, sour cream, diced jalapeños, chopped red onion, shredded cheddar, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Dice the onion and bell pepper; mince the jalapeño (remove seeds if desired).
- Optional: In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño for 4–5 minutes until softened.
- Transfer sautéed vegetables (or raw, if skipping sauté) to the slow cooker.
- Add corn, dried red lentils, tomato sauce, salsa, black beans, red beans, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours, or HIGH for 2–3 hours.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the light cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and offer garnishes.
Notes
For a vegan version, replace cream cheese with silken tofu or dairy-free alternatives. Ensure ingredients are gluten-free if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 240 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 5mg