Meatless Friday: Homemade Tortilla Soup

For Meatless Friday, Sarah Pedrozo shares a filling soup that’s tasty and easy to whip up on a cold night. Download our printable recipe card!

When my children were little, we lived in an old, red-brick farmhouse in northern Indiana, out in the country, a good 20 minutes from the nearest town. When winter rolled around, I always made sure that I had the ingredients for this soup in the pantry in case the power went out, which it did at least two or three times each year, often for days at a time.

Because we were so far out of town and were located on the last road before the next county, our farmhouse was — literally — the last home on the list to get the electricity restored. But because we had a gas cooktop, I could still get this soup together and we could enjoy something hot, tasty and filling as we sat around in the candlelight. I still make this soup during the winter, even though our electricity doesn’t go out quite so much anymore, and we still enjoy it. 

Note: This recipe makes a lot of soup! If you would prefer to make less, you can reduce the amount of water by two cups and leave out one can of beans. The recipe calls for an ingredient known as Adobo All Purpose Seasoning, which can be found with the Latino foods in most grocery stores. Adobo is a combination of spices, mainly garlic, black pepper, oregano and turmeric, and is a staple in Latino households.  

Homemade Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth 
4 cups water 
1 15-oz. can of black beans 
1 15-oz can of red beans 
1 15-oz can of pinto or Charro beans 
1 15-oz can of diced potatoes 
1 15-oz can of corn 
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce 
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies 
1 onion, chopped or thinly sliced, as you prefer 
2 Tbl minced garlic 
3 Tbl Adobo All Purpose Seasoning 
4 corn tortillas 
Optional for garnish: shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro 

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water and 4 cups of vegetable broth to boil. 

While the liquids are heating up, sauté the minced garlic and chopped/sliced onion until caramelized. 

Lower the liquids to a slow simmer and add the onion and garlic mixture, plus all other ingredients, into the soup pot. 

Slice the corn tortillas into rows or bites, as you prefer. Add them to the soup and let them simmer until they soften. 

If desired, sprinkle shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro on top of each bowl. Serve with white rice and tortilla chips. 

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Copyright 2025 Sarah Pedrozo
Images: Copyright 2025 Sarah Pedrozo, all rights reserved.