{Plant-Based} Taco Soup
Taco soup is a great way to pack in lots of veggies and beans, in a flavorful way! This soup is quick, easy, and tasty. Combining classic taco ingredients into a delicious soup, it’s a dish that’s sure to please.
I have been on a soup kick lately. With the arctic winter weather upon us, soup has been a great comfort dish. I also love fixing up a big batch of soup and having plenty of leftovers. Batch cooking, though sometimes exhausting in the moment, has been so great the past few weekends. I love having a few meals prepared for the week so I am mixing up my meal routine and not just resorting to a veggie bowl every meal, even though I absolutely love my bowls. It’s nice to have a bit more variety throughout the week!
This soup is packed full of beans and veggies! Beans are a great source of protein, fiber, iron, zinc, potassium, and more! Beyond the nutritional benefits, there are many health benefits for beans too. Check out all these awesome videos about beans on NutritionFacts.org to learn about their health benefits.
A few notes before you get started:
SERVING SIZE: This recipe makes a lot of soup, probably enough for about 6-8 people. It’s perfect for hungry bellies and tasty leftovers! If you are like me, leftovers are a time saver! Batch cooking large meals is ideal in my world. If this is too much for you, please feel free to cut the recipe in 1/2 to make a smaller batch or consider freezing some for the future!
VEGGIES: Mix and match the veggies with what you have on hand or add in your favorites. Zucchini and mushrooms would all be great additions! I was out of cauliflower when I made this one day, so just added more greens. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned if you want or some fresh chili peppers. Soup is great because you really can make it your own!
WATER OR BROTH: Feel free to swap out the water with a low sodium or salt-free vegetable broth. I honestly just dont keep vegetable broth around very often- so I use water often and flavor up my soups well with other ingredient. The Light Vegetable Broth from the How Not to Diet Cookbook is absolutely delicious- so if you have the time to fix up your own broth, that’s for sure one I’d recommend (ps. I have made this broth many times and do not simmer for the full hour- so you can short cut that if you want!).
SEASONINGS/ NUTRITIONAL YEAST: Again, feel free to customize this to your liking! Add more or less of any of the flavorings and make it your own. Nutritional yeast is not required to make this soup- it was an optional add on at one point. It really does add a nice taste to the soup so I took off “optional” —but you can do without it. That being said, feel free to use up to 1/2 cup if you really want it extra “cheesy”!
Ingredients:
5-8 cups diced orange or Japanese sweet potatoes, (about 2 medium/large)
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
4 cup chopped cauliflower (or 4-6 cups riced cauliflower)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 (15 oz each) BPA-free cans of pinto beans (or 3 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz each) BPA-free cans of black beans (or 3 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) BPA-free can of diced tomatoes with the liquid
1 (6 oz) BPA-free can or jar of tomato paste
6-8 cups of water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, or more as desired
4 cups chopped dark leafy greens of choice (kale is my favorite)
Black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon miso paste (optional)
Cayenne, to taste (optional)
avocados, for topping (optional)
cilantro, for topping (optional)
Method:
- Wash and chop the veggies. In a large pot, add about 1/4 cup of water and the sweet potatoes. Sauté on medium-high heat. Once the sweet potatoes start to soften, add the onions. Continue to sauté, add water, as needed, to keep the veggies from sticking to the pot (about 2 tablespoons- 1/4 cup of water). Avoid over cooking the sweet potatoes.
- Once the onions start to soften, add in the cauliflower, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and more water, if needed (about 1/4 cup). Cook lightly. Then add in the peppers and corn.
- If using canned beans, drain and rinse. Then add the beans to the pot.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 6-8 cups of water, and nutritional yeast until well combined. Bring the soup to a boil, and then lower the heat and allow to simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes (or until the potatoes reach desired texture- avoid over cooking).
- Just before serving stir in the greens of choice and allow them to wilt down. Add black pepper and cayenne to taste. If using the miso, add to a bowl with about 1/4 cup of the soup broth. Stir together until well combined, then stir into the soup.
- Serve in bowls and top with diced avocado and cilantro. Enjoy!
Serves= about 6-8
For all of my visual learners out there, here is a 30 second clip of how to make this recipe. If you enjoy these recipe videos, be sure to give it a like on Instagram. Thank you!
