A flavorful and protein-packed vegetarian taco soup with tofu made in Instant Pot! Enjoy this hearty and comforting taco soup recipe with your favorite toppings, warm tortillas, or a simple salad for a filling meal.
Yesterday I shared vegan pumpkin soup/shorba with Indian-inspired flavors; today, I am sharing the Tex-Mex-inspired vegetarian taco soup recipe with tofu. These days Thai curries, soups, and Mexican food have become very common in our household, and last week I shared my all-purpose Tex-Mex veggies, and now it’s time for a soup.
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What is taco soup?
It’s a thick and chunky soup similar to chili, with the predominant flavors of taco seasoning, and we add similar ingredients to those used inside the taco. This soup is hearty and healthy, with lots of tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and beans. I adapted this recipe from cooking classy, and here is my Instant Pot vegetarian taco soup with tofu.
Why you’ll love this taco soup
✓ Easy to make. You can make this in less than 30 minutes, and this soup makes a filling lunch or dinner. It’s again a “Saute, Dump and Go” Instant Pot recipe like my vegetarian zucchini chili.
✓ This flavorful soup is vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free too. You can easily customize this one-pot taco soup and serve it with your favorite toppings.
✓ This taco soup freezes well, and you can batch-cook it as a part of your weekend meal prep.
Ingredients and substitution alternatives
The ingredient list might sound lengthy, but most are easy to source and pantry-staple ingredients.
Oil – I prefer olive oil for this soup to saute the ingredients. But you can use any other oil of your choice.
Onion and garlic – I used red onion and garlic. You can use yellow or white too.
Tomatoes – I used fresh tomatoes. But you can use canned tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes too.
Diced tomatoes with green chilies: We need a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, and you can easily find this in the grocery stories. Alternatively, you can also use plain canned tomatoes and add finely chopped green chilies.
Beans: I used canned kidney beans. Pinto beans or black beans equally works.
Corn: Fresh or frozen corn works. For this recipe, I used frozen corn that I soaked in water for 10 minutes.
Bell peppers: I used one cup of finely chopped green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. You can use either one.
Veg bouillon cube: We need one cube; alternatively, you can also use 2 cups of vegetable broth. In that case, don’t add water.
Taco seasoning: We need 2 tbsp of taco seasoning for this measure. I went with a store-bought one.
Adobo sauce: I used one tbsp of this sauce. I had the Chipotle In Adobo Sauce can and used the sauce alone. This sauce is an optional ingredient. If you don’t have it, increase the taco seasoning to 3 tbsp.
Tomato paste: Yes, we need a lot of tomatoes. Tomato paste yields that nice red color to the soup. You can use canned tomato sauce as well.
Tofu: For the protein part, I used crumbled extra-firm tofu. You can use tempeh or an additional can of beans instead.
Cilantro: I can’t imagine a Tex-Mex recipe without cilantro. Fresh cilantro adds more flavor, and be generous with cilantro.
Salt and water: As we use canned products, check the added salt measure and adjust accordingly.
Lemon and avocado: I did not use cheese, sour cream, or chips for toppings as I wanted to keep it vegan. I squeezed some fresh lemon juice and served it with avocado and warm tortillas.
Please check the recipe card for the exact measurements.
Dietary specifications
As mentioned earlier, this soup is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. But make sure all the canned products have vegan and gluten-free labels. Some seasonings have sugar, so use the right products per your dietary needs.
Serving and storing suggestions
We love this soup with a side of warm tortilla and avocado. You can top up the soup with a dollop of sour cream, cheese, or tortilla chips.
I have tried refrigerating this soup for three days. You can also freeze them in portions, thaw, and reheat them when needed.
How to make taco soup in Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft. Now turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add all the ingredients one by one. Add the fresh tomatoes, beans, corn, and bell peppers.
- Then add the canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, tofu, taco seasoning, tomato paste, adobo sauce, veg bouillon cube crushed, salt, and half of the cilantro measure.
- Finally, add the water and mix well.
- Close the Instant Pot. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the soup at high-pressure manual/pressure cook mode for 5 minutes, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure. Carefully open the Instant Pot lid once the pressure has subsided.
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again and add the remaining cilantro. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add your favorite toppings. Serve with freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice, and enjoy the taco soup warm.
Recipe Notes
- This soup, with the given measures, is not so spicy. Kids can enjoy it too. But if you like a spicy soup, you can also include one deseeded jalapeno pepper.
- For a thick soup, add vegetarian refried beans or mash some canned beans for a thick gravy.
- As always, adjust the salt and spice to your preference. Please check the ingredient measure on the blog post for substitutions and alternate ingredients.
More vegan soup recipes
Loved this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Taco Soup With Tofu
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion approx 142 grams 1 cup chopped
- 3 garlic cloves approx 8grams
- 320 grams tomato approx 2 cups chopped
- 15.5 oz kidney beans one 15.5oz can
- 10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup colored bell peppers finely chopped 110 grams
- 1 veg bouillon cube
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.75 tsp salt or to taste
- 175 grams tofu crumbled approx 1 cup tightly packed
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup cilantro
- Lemon and avocado to serve
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft. Now turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add all the ingredients one by one. Add the fresh tomatoes, beans, corn, and bell peppers.
- Then add the canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, tofu, taco seasoning, tomato paste, adobo sauce, veg bouillon cube crushed, salt, and half of the cilantro measure.
- Finally, add the water and mix well.
- Close the Instant Pot. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the soup at high-pressure manual/pressure cook mode for 5 minutes, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure. Carefully open the Instant Pot lid once the pressure has subsided.
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again and add the remaining cilantro. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add your favorite toppings. Serve with freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice, and enjoy the taco soup warm.
Notes
- This soup, with the given measures, is not so spicy. Kids can enjoy it too. But if you like a spicy soup, you can also include one deseeded jalapeno pepper.
- For a thick soup, add vegetarian refried beans or mash some canned beans for a thick gravy.
- As always, adjust the salt and spice to your preference. Please check the ingredient measure on the blog post for substitutions and alternate ingredients.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
This delicious soup comes together quickly when you have all the ingredients on-hand (exactly 30 minutes). The power of this recipe is how many deep + nuanced flavors you can achieve in a short timespan. Additionally, the dish fills your stomach nicely. No hunger for the rest of the evening! Thank you, Vidhya!
PS: Our leftovers froze nicely in X2 2 cup Soupercubes. Be sure to distribute the ingredients evenly between both cubes if going this route.
Thanks so much for the feedback. Really appreciate it.