This vegetarian Jackfruit Tortilla Soup is made with tons of veggies and canned jackfruit!
I’m so excited to be sharing a super healthy vegetarian tortilla soup with you for the first recipe of 2018!
I’m going through a huge soup phase this year. After spending my whole life pretty much hating soup, I’m bound and determined to find a way to love it. We’ve been trying a new soup every other week or so. Lessons I’ve learned so far – I need to have lots of extra toppings and tons of flavor every step of the way.
We had some friends bringing us some meals a while back and one of them was chicken tortilla soup. Friends-bringing-you-meals-times are not necessarily the times to stand your ground on food preferences, so I definitely had some of it for dinner, despite the fact that I don’t normally eat chicken. I was surprised just how much I loved it, and determined then and there to create a vegetarian version of chicken tortilla soup for the blog.
This is where we might need to talk about jackfruit – are you on board? Are you scared? I’ll admit I was a little scared too. Let me reassure you that jackfruit is readily available in grocery stores now (I found mine in the natural and organic section) and it’s going to be super easy to handle. I do feel like it has a bit of a sweet taste, but you can easily add more chili powder and even a pinch of cayenne if you’re not feeding four picky little mouths like me.
This recipe for vegetarian jackfruit tortilla soup comes together pretty quick after a little bit of chopping. While it may seem like a long list of ingredients, all those veggies and toppings are what makes this special. The nights (and days) around here have been painfully cold lately, making pretty much every day a soup day!
This vegetarian jackfruit tortilla soup can be easily customized! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- If you’re just not on the jackfruit train you can replace it with a can of black beans, rinsed and drained, or about 1 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken
- Spice it up by using more chili powder, a pinch of cayenne, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- Use whatever veggies you might have on hand such as zucchini, bell pepper, or mushrooms (I would add all with the onion)
- Use store bought tortilla strips or chips to cut down on prep time
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
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Recipe
Jackfruit Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 can jackfruit, packed in water, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, minced
- 30 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 32 ounces low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2-4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional toppings
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Cheddar, monterey jack, or Mexican cheese blend
- Sour cream
- Tortilla strips, store bought, or recipe below
Tortilla strips
- 6-8 yellow corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
- Coarse kosher salt
- Chili powder
Instructions
- Lay the jackfruit on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Using your fingers, press the jackfruit chunks and pull apart into large shreds. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the shredded jackfruit and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, corn, lime juice, and spices, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the tortilla strips. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cut corn tortillas in half, then into about six thin strips. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle to taste with salt and chili powder. Bake 10-15 minutes until crisp and lightly browned, watching carefully so the strips don’t burn.
- To serve the soup, ladle into bowls and top with optional toppings and tortilla strips.
Notes
- Replace jackfruit with a can of black beans, rinsed and drained, or about 1 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken
- Spice it up by using more chili powder, a pinch of cayenne, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- Use whatever veggies you might have on hand such as zucchini, bell pepper, or mushrooms (I would add all with the onion)
- Use store bought tortilla strips or chips to cut down on prep time
Nicole says
Oooo yes! This is my kind of meal – loaded with flavor, vegetables and jackfruit! Perfect comfort food.
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Nicole!
Sarah Newman, Vegan Chickpea says
Mmmm! I just got a can of jackfruit. Now I know what I’m making! 😀
Lindsay Moe says
Yay!
jenna | the urben life says
I love tortilla soup! I’ve got to try jackfruit.
Lindsay Moe says
It took me a long time to try it, but I’m glad I did!
jen says
This sounds so perfect for winter. Such a warm looking dish, yum! I have been wanting to try jackfruit out, but I’m one of those scared people haha! Thanks for the reassurance, next time I see jackfruit in the stores I’ll pick some up.
Lindsay Moe says
I’m glad I could motivate you, it’s not as scary as it seems!
Claudia says
OMG! This soup is so awesome!! Have made it twice in one day and has definitely become more favorable than chili. ? Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Lindsay Moe says
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Leanne says
I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner on this cold night and I found your recipe and all the needed ingredients in my pantry … it was meant to be, a match made in heaven! This was absolutely fantastic, thank you!
Andrew says
Couldn’t follow the recipe.
What is Cilantro?
I haven’t used pounds and ounces for over forty years.
Lindsay Moe says
I’m sorry you had trouble following the recipe. Where I’m from these are common ingredients and measurements. You may know cilantro as a leafy green herb by the name of coriander. You should be able to easily search on google how to converts pounds and ounces to different measurements.