In this house we generally run at about 90 miles per hour! We are busy all the time, even with pandemic. We have three kids who are all at different stages of life. The seven year-old has homework, the 3 year-old has needs for attention and teaching her things like the alphabet, counting, color mixing, etc. And then, there is the infant who requires constant attention, whether it’s a nursing session, a diaper change or getting him down for a nap. Am I complaining about any of this? Absolutely not! Am I saying that our house is super super busy at all times, yes indeed!
So, with this season of life comes the need for a lot of planning. Between double checking schedules, ordering groceries, planning out my blog content, folding laundry, etc. etc. etc. meal planning and prepping has made its way to the list of things that MUST be done.
I try, as much as possible, to create meals that dirty as few dishes as possible. That’s one of the many reasons I love the instant pot so so much! I love that it offers a saute option, so I’m able to precook some of my veggies for more flavor. And, you can’t beat a set it and forget it meal!
The lentils in this tortilla soup create a creamy texture and provide added protein. The fire roasted tomatoes add just a bit of extra flavor, and the jalapeno adds the perfect kick without being too spicy.
The avocado cream takes the place of sour cream in this soup, and it also adds a lovely creamy texture if you stir it in. Plus, you can’t beat the health benefits of the good fats found in cashews and avocado.
So, what’s in this vegan tortilla soup?
Raw cashews - you want to use raw cashews because they soak up the liquid much easier when you're soaking them before turning them into cream.
Vegetable broth
Ripe avocado
Nutritional yeast (high in B vitamins, this makes a great addition to your vegan dishes!)
Lime juice
Avocado or grapeseed oil
Onion
Garlic
Jalapeno pepper
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Coarse Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Reduced sodium black beans
Frozen corn
Dried red lentils
Fire roasted diced tomatoes
Tortilla chip strips
Cilantro leaves
How do you make this yummy soup???
Make the avocado cream. Place the cashews and 1 cup of vegetable broth in a microwave safe dish. Heat 1-1 ½ minutes or until mixture is very hot. Remove from the microwave and cover.
Prepare the ingredients for the soup. Preheat the sauté function on your instant pot. Add the oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and garlic is browned and tender. Add the jalapeno pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes, until the jalapeno pepper is tender. Turn off the heat.
Stir in the black beans, corn, remaining 3 cups of vegetable broth, and lentils. Turn the instant pot onto the soup setting, place the lid on and cook for 30-35 minutes. While the pressure is releasing on the soup, puree the fire roasted tomatoes until they resemble smooth salsa (so there will be just a bit of texture left here).
Still, while the pressure is releasing from the instant pot, rinse the blender from the tomatoes and place the cashews, vegetable broth, avocado, nutritional yeast, lime juice, salt, and pepper in the blender. Puree until smooth, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the blender as needed.
Finish the soup. Once the pressure is released, add tomatoes to the soup and stir gently.
Add toppings and serve! Once the soup and avocado cream are finished, divide soup evenly among 4 bowls, and top with 1-2 TBSP avocado cream, tortilla chip strips and fresh cilantro leaves.
Enjoy! And if you love this soup, please let me know in the comments section! I would love to connect on Instagram @sugarandsalt_co!