A simple combination of spices, veggies, and beans gets simmered to infuse all of the flavors together and cook the veggies. Chia seeds get blended in with some of the broth and beans to make it extra thick. Don’t sleep on those cheesy tortilla crisps or toppings!
Ingredient Highlight
Beans! are a great way to get protein along with a heavy dose of fiber, complex carbs, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few. They are famous for making you fart (hehe) because of the specific sugars (oligosaccharides) they contain that we have trouble breaking down. Cooking your beans from scratch reduces the fart-causing substances!
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups chopped veggies (bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, etc…)
- 3 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp lime juice
For the cheesy tortilla crisps:*
- 4 medium flour or corn tortillas
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Toppings:
- chopped pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, and sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt.
- *Save time and just top with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. You could also just top tortilla chips (instead of making your own) with cheese and bake them.
Instructions
For the cheesy tortilla crisps:
- preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the tortillas on the baking sheet, drizzle each with a little bit of oil and spread it around to coat in a thin layer on both sides. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tortillas are crispy. Top each tortilla with enough cheese to generously cover it (about ¼-½ cup depending on tortilla size), then place back in the oven for 3 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cut or break into pieces. To rewarm them, just pop them in a warm oven for a few minutes.
For the soup:
- in a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, paprika, and chili flakes (if using) and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Stir in the water, veggies, beans, soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cover the pot with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce down to a low/medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove about 4 cups of the broth/beans (make sure to get lots of beans!) and transfer to a high-speed blender. Add the chia seeds and blend on high until smooth and thick (make sure to allow steam to escape while blending). If it’s not blending easily, just add more broth. Stir it back into the soup along with the lime juice.
- Serve the soup topped with cheesy tortilla chips, yogurt or sour cream, pickled onions, and cilantro.
Instant Pot instructions
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to “normal” or “medium”. Follow the recipe.
- After you’ve stirred in the water, veggies, etc…, press "cancel", lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, carefully move the vent to “venting” to release the pressure. Follow the rest of the recipe (starting at “remove 4 cups…”).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Chop 4 cups veggies (bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, etc…)
- Make cheesy tortilla crisps (make these ahead and warm them up in a warm or 300F oven)
- Make the soup!
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, skip the yogurt or sour cream (or use an alternative). Use vegan cheese for the cheesy tortilla crisps or just skip the cheese and serve with tortilla crisps or chips.
- You can really use any bean, but black beans are the classic (I also tested with cannellini beans because it’s all I had and it was still good!).
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover soup in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through. Top with all the toppings and cheesy tortilla crisps.
- No crisps left? Make more or just top with cheese + all the other toppings.
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