This vegan taco soup swaps the ground beef for baked, seasoned tofu crumbles, so you still get that hearty, "meaty" bite in every spoonful - and more than 30 g of protein per bowl. It's made mostly from pantry cans, the tofu bakes while the soup simmers, and dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes with barely 10 minutes of hands-on work.
Jump to:
Classic Tex-Mex taco soup is built on browned ground beef, taco seasoning, beans and corn - chunkier and heartier than tortilla soup, which is more brothy and gets its character from tortilla strips.
I wanted a version with a real protein replacement instead of beans only, so I tested it with tofu. Simply crumbling it into the pot didn't work for me: the tofu turned too soft.
So I switched to my Tofu Ground Beef, where the tofu is baked until golden - and it was the perfect match. The crumbles stay firm and chewy in the broth.
My whole family loves this meatless taco soup during the colder winter months. If you'd rather have a smoother, blended bean soup without tofu, my Mexican Bean Soup is a quicker, creamier option.
Ingredients and Swaps
- Tofu: One 14 oz block of firm or extra-firm tofu (not silken), pressed well so it crisps in the oven. Use tamari instead of soy sauce for gluten-free.
- Spices or taco seasoning: Paprika, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili flakes, black pepper and salt. Prefer a shortcut? Use your favorite taco seasoning blend instead, such as Great Value or Old El Paso from Walmart. Most blends already contain salt, so taste before adding more.
- Diced tomatoes and broth: Together they make the broth - one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with their juice plus 2 cups vegetable broth. Diced keeps the soup chunky; crushed would make it smoother and thicker. For a soupier version, add an extra splash of broth.
- Jalapeños or green chiles: Jalapeños for heat, green chiles for a mild, family-friendly soup. Use the rest of the 4 oz can in guacamole or on nachos.
- Beans and corn: Drain and rinse them so the broth tastes cleaner. Pinto beans can replace either bean; 1½ cups frozen corn works instead of canned.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make vegan taco soup (Step-by-Step Photos)
Step 1: Crumble the pressed tofu into small, ground-beef-sized pieces and toss it with the soy sauce, oil and spices.
Step 2: Spread them out on a lined baking sheet and bake until golden at the edges, stirring once. Start the soup while they're in the oven.
Step 3: Soften the onion in olive oil, add the garlic, then stir in all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then.
Step 4: Stir in the tofu crumbles for the last 5 minutes so they warm through but keep their bite.
Toppings
The toppings turn this into a "taco in a bowl", so set them out and let everyone build their own:
- Vegan sour cream, for example:
- Forager Project Organic Dairy-Free Sour Cream (cashew and coconut base)
- Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative (almond base)
- Violife Just Like Sour Cream (coconut oil base)
- Tofutti Sour Supreme (soy base)
- Or plain unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt with a squeeze of lime
- Diced avocado or my Guacamole (made with soy or other plant-based yogurt to keep it vegan)
- Shredded vegan cheddar
- Fresh cilantro
- Crushed tortilla chips or taco shells
- A spoonful of my Salsa with Canned Tomatoes or Cucumber Pico de Gallo
Storage
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For best results I recommend freezing the soup without the tofu for up to 3 months and bake fresh crumbles when you reheat it.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened.
- Toppings: Store them separately and add after reheating, so the chips stay crunchy and the avocado stays fresh.
More tex-mex recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Taco Soup
Want to SAVE this recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send it directly to you! Tick the box to also get a new recipe every week!
Ingredients
Tofu crumbles
- 14 oz (400 g) firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon canned diced jalapeños or canned diced green chiles for a milder soup
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can corn drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth
Topping ideas
- vegan sour cream, avocado, shredded vegan cheddar, fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Make the crumbles. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Break the pressed tofu into small, ground-beef-sized pieces with your fingers. Toss them with the soy sauce, oil, garlic powder, paprika and smoked paprika. Spread them on a parchment-lined sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once, until golden at the edges. Start the soup while they bake.14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Cook the aromatics. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft.1 medium yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the rest. Add the spices (or your favorite taco seasoning blend), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeños or green chiles, black beans, kidney beans, corn and broth. Stir and bring to a boil.2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp chili flakes, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp canned diced jalapeños, 1 15 oz can black beans, 1 15 oz can kidney beans, 1 15 oz can corn, 2 cups vegetable broth
- Simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the tofu. Stir in the tofu crumbles and simmer for the last 5 minutes. Taste for salt and heat.
- Consistency: For a thinner, soupier version, stir in an extra ½-1 cup vegetable broth or water. The soup also thickens slightly as it sits, so add a splash when reheating leftovers. Serve in bowls with the toppings of choice.
Video
Notes
- Tofu: a simplified version of my Tofu Ground Beef.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and check that your broth and taco seasoning are gluten-free.
- Taco seasoning: Most store-bought blends already contain salt, so taste before adding the 1 teaspoon salt. Check the label if you need it gluten-free or dairy-free.
- Heat level: Jalapeños make the soup spicy; green chiles keep it mild.
- Make ahead: Bake the tofu crumbles up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge.
- Storage: Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Store toppings separately.
Leave a Reply