This tasty vegetarian taco soup is so easy to make and has instructions for both stove top and slow cooker methods.
We like ours deliciously spicy, but feel free to adjust the heat to medium or mild. Since the soup is vegan, simply choose your favorite toppings and get ready to faceplate!
This. Soup. Right. Here.
It’s rocking my world right now!
The weather has been downright chilly this past week and all I’ve wanted is a hot bowl of hot and spicy taco soup with lots of veggies.
This bad boy delivers! It’s loaded with a boatload of beans, veggies, and spices. In place of meat I employed a cup of protein-packed lentils. YES PLEASE.
Spicy Vegetarian Taco Soup
Because I’m in love with a good spicy bowl-o-soup, I used two large jalapeños plus extra for topping and a generous helping of cayenne pepper in the seasoning blend.
Prefer a more mild soup? Feel free to use mild green bell pepper in place of the jalapeño or simply use one instead of two. You can leave the seeds and insides in the jalapeños for a super spicy soup or remove them to better control the heat. The cayenne can be skipped or replaced with sweet paprika.
Basically, there are so many ways to control the heat here so make it as mild, medium, or spicy as you’d like!
Can I meal prep or freeze this lentil taco soup?
Yes! Yes! 1000x yes! The leftover soup is SO FLAVORFUL!
Much like the filling for my famous lentil tacos and my veggie tortilla soup, this veggie taco soup can be meal prepped like a BOSS!
The vegetable packed soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be frozen for 1-3 months since it’s meat and dairy-free.
To reheat frozen soup, simply thaw in the fridge and reheat via a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Frozen soup can even be warmed up in an Instant Pot or slow cooker if needed. Choose the method that works for your schedule and enjoy!
tasty taco soup toppings:
When it comes to taco soup, the topping possibilities are as endless as they are tasty! Depending on diet and lifestyle you can choose your favorite vegan or vegetarian options. Here are a few of our favorites:
- pico de gallo
- fresh sliced jalapeños or pickled jalapeños
- minced red onion or pickled red onion
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- sliced avocado or guacamole
- grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- fresh cilantro
- scallions
- tortilla chips or strips
Vegetarian Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1-2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1-2 bell peppers
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 TBSP chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste (I added 2 pinches of each)
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with juices)
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried lentils (brown or green)
- 15 oz canned black beans
- 15 oz canned pinto beans
- 1 lime (squeezed – juice only)
TASTY TOPPING OPTIONS: Choose your favorites!
- pico de gallo
- fresh sliced jalapeños
- minced red onion
- guacamole or sliced avocado
- grated cheese
- fresh cilantro or sliced green onion
- tortilla chips or strips
Instructions
- Measure out all your ingredients and prep your veggies for speedy soup assembly.
- Finely chop onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos. Smash and mince garlic.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all your ingredients (minus toppings) to a 5-6 quart crock-pot. For the slow cooker version I suggest using a full quart (4 cups) of vegetable broth.
- Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours, until dried lentils are cooked through and tender. My soup was perfect after 5 hours on high.
- Adjust salt/pepper/spices to taste and add all your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot to medium-high heat with your favorite cooking oil.
- Sauté your onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño until tender. Then add garlic and spices and cook for an additional minute.
- Next add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and dry lentils; stir to mix. Let mixture come to a boil and add your dried lentils. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until both lentils and veggies are tender.
- Lastly drain and rinse your beans (to keep the broth clear and remove any extra sodium) and add them to the soup along with the juice of 1 lime. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve once beans are warmed through. Add all your favorite toppings and dive in while it's hot!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegetarian taco soup, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
is it possible to adapt this to the instapot? I made your instapot tomato soup for my family yesterday and they loved it so much I made another batch today! I’m looking forward to trying more of your great recipes-just found your blog yesterday. I hope you and your family are staying well and happy!
Hi Margaret! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tomato soup and that you found my blog! This recipe can totally be tweaked for the Instant Pot! Without testing first I can’t advise on exact timing but I would personally give the veggies a light saute in the pot with a little oil and then start testing at around 8 minutes on high pressure. You would want to use canned beans because using dry beans along with veggies would render the fresh vegetables mushy due to the need for a much longer cook time. I also have a Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup recipe that is made in the IP if you’d like to check that out! Hope this helps! xoxo
Wow! Wow! Wow! Super delicious and incredibly satisfying!! This recipe is easy to make and tastes, for lack of a better term “fresh and clean.” Huge hit!!
This soup is a sassy delight! Super easy to make and great reheated, plus packed with veggies! I love the variety of ways you can top this soup with your favorites or even add in meat for an extra kick of protein!
Yummy and will enjoy again!
I’m so stoked you enjoyed it Melanie! Thanks!