Vegan Taco Bean Soup
Vegan Taco Bean Soup is a wholesome bowl of plant-based goodness.
Stuffed full of beans, vegetables and nourishing gentle spices.
A variety of toppings can be added but especially tasty are oven-roasted cherry tomatoes.
The fresh burst of flavour roast tomatoes provide are amazing!
Some sources claim that Taco Bean Soup originated in the 1950s Southwestern United States.
Whatever Taco Bean soups true origins are it was obviously inspired by Mexico’s delicious tacos.
One source has researched the history of the Taco to the 18th and 19th Century Mexican Silver mines.
The word Taco translates into the material used to cover gunpowder. The covered gunpowder was used to blow the ores for excavation!
Depending on how much chilli and hot sauce you add to your tacos, it could be compared to gunpowder!
The Mexican miners enjoyed a meal of what was termed Miner’s Tacos.
Vegan Taco Bean Soup
Serves 6 depending on portion sizes!
My Vegan Taco Bean recipe includes textured vegetable protein mince pieces (TVP), red rice, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and black beans. However the TVP can be replaced with a different vegan mince.
As can my choice of beans be subbed with whatever beans you happen to have.
I love the nuttiness and texture that red rice provides but any rice will be great.
Vegan Taco Bean Soup
Enjoy a wholesome bowl of soup that is a meal in-its-self! Delicious spiced beans and tomatoes topped with crushed tortilla chips, juicy roast tomatoes and fresh spring onions. MMMM!
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 sticks celery, diced about 1 cup. Add the celery inner leaves, chopped if liked.
- 2 small carrots, diced about 1 and 1/4 cups
- 1 courgette, diced about 1 and 1/2 cups
- 1 medium onion, chopped about 1 cup
- 1 bell pepper, diced about 3/4 cup. Use any colour of bell pepper you have.
- 4 garlic cloves, fine chopped Use more if liked! I usually do.
- 1 cup frozen sweetcorn
- 1 can black beans, drained regular 400 gram can. Any of the beans listed here can be easily replaced with whatever bean you have in your pantry,
- 1 can kidney beans, drained regular 400 gram can
- 1 can black-eyed peas regular 400 gram can
- 1 cup frozen sweetcorn or a tin of regular sized sweetcorn
- 35 grams Dried textured vegetable protein (TVP) mince pieces or 1/2 cup. Or use any vegan mince dried, fresh or frozen. For fresh or frozen use about 1 and 1/2 cups or about 150 grams.
- 1/2 cup rice I used red rice but you can use any type of rice.
- 500 grams passata or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree /paste
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or just ordinary paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder use more if you'd like it more spicy! I only used 1/4 tsp so it wouldn't be too spicy for my kids.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.2 litres vegetable stock (1 litre 200 ml) Or just over 1.2 US quarts/ 2.5 pints. I used 2 Marigold stock cubes.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepan.
- Mix well.
- Bring to the boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes depending on how long your chosen rice takes to cook. Brown, wholegrain rice may need 45 minutes. Check your packet instructions.
- Serve!
Notes
Optional extras: 1 small punnet of cherry or ordinary tomatoes (about 250-300 grams). For larger tomatoes chop in half or quarter. Just pop the tomatoes in a roasting tray or even a cake sandwich tin. Roast in the oven at 160 Fan/ 180 Celsius/ 356 Fahrenheit /Gas 4 while the soup is simmering. For around 20 minutes until soft and juicy. Adorn the roasted tomatoes to the top of each bowl of soup. Enjoy!
The following nutritional information is not exact and is intended for guidance only as ingredients vary.
Servings include the soup only and not any additional toppings.
Thanks!
Vegan Taco Bean Soup Recipe Notes
- For a crushed tortilla chip topping use shop-bought tortilla chips and just crush up. Or make your own with tortilla wraps. Slice up tortilla wraps into triangle shapes and place on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven at 155 fan/ 175 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit/ Gas 4. For around 10-20 minutes or until the tortilla chips are lightly golden and crisp. You might need to flip them half way through cooking. Be careful and keep an eye on them as they can turn dark brown quickly! Although they still taste nice extra dark!
- Before baking flavour your homemade tortilla chips with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
- Sliced spring onions are a tasty topping addition.
Smoked paprika sprinkled over the tortilla chips before baking - For spice lovers add chopped chillies or splashes of hot sauce! You could even add a fresh chilli to the taco bean soup at the beginning.
- As always a sprinkling of nutritional yeast is very tasty. And provides lots of extra nutritional value. Although if you have some types of autoimmune disorders there is some evidence for not consuming nutritional yeast.
Vegan Taco Bean Soup with grated plant-based cheese, nutritional yeast, roast tomatoes, sliced spring onions and crushed home-made tortilla chips. And a grinding of black pepper. Yum! - Plant-based grated cheese is a nice topping. As is a dollop of plant-based/vegan sour cream or cream cheese.
- Instead of roasting your tomatoes you could just dice fresh tomatoes and add as a topping.
- Add some fresh salsa as a topping.
- Slices of avocado are especially tasty especially if you can get them in the reduced section of the supermarket!
- Or add a dollop of guacamole to the top. Some hummus would also be tasty.
- Add a cup of chopped kale to your soup about half way through cooking.
- Add fresh spinach at the end of cooking your soup. It will wilt and cook in the residual heat.
- If you happen to have a sachet of taco bean/fajita/enchilada seasoning this can be added in place of the spices.
- Vegan Taco Bean Soup will keep fresh for 3 days, covered, in the fridge.
- Or freeze for a quick, future ready meal.
- You may find that leftover soup will absorb all the liquid the next day! I found this perfect as I then used the leftovers as a filling to make a few tacos for my sons lunch. Another idea would be to use the taco filling to top a baked potato. Otherwise just add a little water or extra vegetable stock and reheat your soup until piping hot.
For more easy vegan meal recipes:
Check out my Plant-based Vegan Tempeh Bolognese,
This is a super quick meal for those busy days!
Or how about a bowl of delicious, warming slow cooker/crock pot Cauliflower and Chickpea Tikka Masala:
Prepared one of my recipes? I would love to hear how you got on!
All comments and feedback appreciated.
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We’d love to see your creations!
This looks so tasty and colorful! Going to give it a go see if my husband enjoys. Thanks for the recipe
It is yummy! I love all the healthy rainbow colours in this soup also! Happy cooking!