Vegetarian Mexican Soup Recipe

Vegetable soup is one of the most nutritious meals that you can have and it is quite easy to prepare as well. Mexican vegetable soups taste unique because of the special way that they are prepared. But this unique cooking style is not difficult to follow and anyone with basic cooking skills can make delicious Mexican soups.

Vegetarian Mexican Soup consists of various types of vegetables. You can use most types of vegetables with this recipe such as carrots, celery, potato, beans, cauliflower, etc. All types of seasonal vegetables can be used to make Mexican soup.

So follow along to prepare a delicious bowl of flavorful Vegetarian Mexican Soup that is not only high in nutritional value but also tastes so delicious that your friends and family will be impressed for weeks after tasting this amazing soup.

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients that you will need to prepare Vegetarian Mexican Soup.

• 4 tablespoons neutral-tasting vegetable oil
• 1 red onion
• 3 bell peppers
• 1 jalapeno
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 800 gm diced canned tomatoes
• 250 gm diced green chili pepper
• 1.5 liter vegetable broth
• 500 gm sweet canned corn
• 850 gm black beans
• 1 zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery
• Salt, as needed
• Black Pepper, as needed
• Lime juice, for garnishing
• Coriander leaves, for garnishing

Cooking Process

The entire process of preparing Mexican Vegetarian Soup can be divided into cutting and preparing all the vegetables and the other ingredients and cooking the dish by combining everything in an orderly fashion. These processes are discussed thoroughly in detail in the passages below.

Preparing the Vegetable

Before starting to cook the vegetable soup, it is always wise to get all of your vegetables and other ingredients prepared and ready to be dropped into the pot. This increases the flow of cooking and decreases the chances of making any mistake.

Peel the onion and cut it into rough cubes. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Discard the stem and the seeds of the bell peppers and cut them into small cubes. Slice the Jalapeno into slices. Cut the zucchini, carrots, and celery into half-inch thick cubes. Do not cut the vegetables in large pieces as this will increase the chances of them remaining raw even after cooking. 

Cooking the Soup

The step-by-step instructions to cook the Mexican Vegetarian soup are given below.

Step 1

Put a large pot on the stove and set the heat to medium-high. Add vegetable oil to the pot and heat the oil.

Step 2

Add the onion and garlic to the oil and stir for a minute. Add the ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, and salt to the pot. Keep stirring for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Throw in the sliced carrots and celery and keep stirring to soften them up. These are the hardest vegetables so they should be put in the pot before other vegetables. Stir for another few minutes until the water from the carrots and celery evaporates. Add the bell peppers at this stage as well and keep stirring.

Step 4

Add the canned tomatoes, chili pepper, and vegetable broth, and stir to mix everything well.

Step 5

Add the sweet canned corn, black beans, sliced zucchini, and other vegetables to the pot and stir everything well.

Step 6

Wait till you see the soup starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer the soup for 25-30 minutes.

Step 7

Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. But do not stir frequently as it will turn all of the vegetables into mush and it will not taste as good.

Step 8

Check the vegetables with a fork to make sure that they have been cooked thoroughly. Add more vegetable stock or water to the pot if the liquids are evaporating too quickly but the vegetables have not softened up sufficiently. Reduce the heat further to simmer the soup for a longer time.

Step 9

Do a taste check before taking the pot off the stove because a lot of the liquids have evaporated. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Step 10

Serve the soup hot in a bowl and garnish with cilantro, spring onion, lime juice, and other greens of your choice.

Notes

Adjust the heat level according to your preference. Use less chili powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper if you do not like your soup to be too spicy. Use any vegetable that is readily available to you as all types of vegetables work with this recipe. Only make sure that they get cooked properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Types of Vegetables Can I Add to the Vegetarian Mexican Soup?

You can add pretty much any type of vegetable you can get your hands on. Using seasonal vegetables will only enhance the taste of the dish. The signature Mexican flavor comes from the Jalapeno, oregano, and kidney beans so all the other ingredients only add to the flavors.

You can use vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, potatoes, cabbage, eggplant, and various other seasonal vegetables. You can use frozen vegetables like frozen peas as well.

Just make sure that all of the vegetables get cooked properly. You will need to sautee the vegetables before adding in the liquids if you are using hard vegetables like carrots and celery but softer vegetables like eggplants or cabbages will get cooked properly without sauteeing them before. 

Is This Dish Vegan-Friendly?

Yes, this dish is both vegan-friendly and vegetarian-friendly because it not only avoids using any meat but also avoids using any animal products such as eggs, milk, butter, or cheese. You can enjoy this soup when you are on a vegan diet without any hesitation as it is guaranteed to be completely vegan.

What Should I Serve With This Soup?

Traditionally, Mexican vegetarian soup is served with tortilla chips. You can serve this soup with bread, flatbread, tacos, etc. Some crunch goes well with soups so serving this dish with chips is the best option.

How Do I Store Vegetarian Mexican Soup?

You can store vegetarian Mexican soup in the fridge in an airtight container and it will remain good for about 3-4 days. You can heat it in the microwave oven or on a pot on the stove and it will still taste appetizing.