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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers » Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup - Video Post

    Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup - Video Post

    Updated: Jul 21, 2023 by Veronica Noone · This post may contain affiliate links · 25 Comments

    tortilla soup pin

    Alright, I don’t know WHAT I was thinking. All I can say is my illness must have caused a momentary lapse of sanity resulting in me thinking I could actually cook an entire dish on video with a distracting toddler roaming around.

    Just be prepared for Diego sunglasses, tent talk, the Tabasco incident, piano playing and me messing up as usual. At one point, I try to show you the dish off camera. I’m a mess! But hey, even the stomach flu doesn’t keep me away from the weekly video! ;~P They are too much fun! That being said, if you aren't prepared to see me fumble for 20 minutes, the recipe is

    below.

    As I say on the video, this soup is inspired by Qdoba Mexican Grill’s Tortilla Soup. I haven’t been there in awhile so honestly I can’t remember how close it is. All I know is I loved their spicy tomato based thick soup minus the tortillas, hence the Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup!

    Ingredients

    • Small onion diced
    • 1 medium zucchini diced
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • 1 green bell pepper diced
    • 1 jalapeño diced small
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 1 can diced tomatoes (15oz)
    • 1 can chicken broth (or vegetable) (15oz)
    • Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tbsp)
    • Splash of Tabasco to taste
    • Non-stick cooking spray

    Instructions

    Sautee the onion over medium heat in a medium pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add the zucchini, peppers, and jalapeño.

    Sprinkle the chili powder, cilantro and cumin over the sauté vegetables. Mix well and flavors combine.

    Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, lime juice, and Tabasco.

    Using a hand mixer blend the soup to thicken, leaving it as chunky as you like.

    Bring to a boil, remove from heat and serve!

    📖 Recipe

    tortilla soup featured

    Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup

    Missing the crunch of tortillas in your soup? Try this tortilla-less version that's just as flavorful and satisfying.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 5 cups
    Calories 40 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • Small onion diced
    • 1 medium zucchini diced
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • 1 green bell pepper diced
    • 1 jalapeño diced small
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 1 can diced tomatoes 15oz
    • 1 can chicken broth or vegetable (15oz)
    • Juice of 1 lime about 1 tbsp
    • Splash of Tabasco to taste
    • Non-stick cooking spray

    Instructions
     

    • Sautee the onion over medium heat in a medium pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add the zucchini, peppers, and jalapeño.
      Small onion diced, 1 medium zucchini diced, 1 red bell pepper diced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 1 jalapeño diced small, Non-stick cooking spray
    • Sprinkle the chili powder, cilantro and cumin over the sauté vegetables. Mix well and flavors combine.
      1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon dried cilantro, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 can chicken broth
    • Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, lime juice, and Tabasco.
      1 can diced tomatoes, Juice of 1 lime, Splash of Tabasco to taste
    • Using a hand mixer blend the soup to thicken, leaving it as chunky as you like.
    • Bring to a boil, remove from heat and serve!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 40kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 868IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Tortilla
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Lori

      January 02, 2011 at 10:43 am

      Love this recipe! I've made it 3 times in the last month! I double the spices and add a can of black beans for some protein....excellent!

      Reply
    2. Lynnie

      April 09, 2010 at 3:46 pm

      I'm making this for my best friend who is pretty infatuated with Qdoba's version.. and I have to say I think you got pretty darn close.. Also as an idea: when my friend orders this from Qdoba she also gets a side of the cilantro lime rice, which she then adds to the soup, and it's really tasty! 🙂

      Reply
    3. blackviolet

      October 05, 2008 at 9:49 pm

      This is great! It's so hard to find recipes for yummy low-cal soup! I've been eating the pProgresso Light (only 120 cals per can), and not only is it full of sodium, you don't get to make it from scratch in your kitchen on cold nights. Plus, this recipe is so refreshingly different from regular vegetable or minestrone soup.

      By using Wolfgang Puck's Vegetable Stock (the absolute best!) rather than chicken broth, I made this vegan. I added a little extra zucchini, added a can of diced green chiles, doubled the cumin, and substituted a little cayenne for the tobasco. Sometimes I add a big can of sliced olives (which brings up the calories).

      When I want to really splurge, I think I'll also add some black beans or kidney beans and tons of cheese, and make this into REAL tortilla soup! 😉

      Thanks so much for the recipe!!

      Reply
    4. roni

      August 28, 2008 at 6:39 pm

      Jenn - I freeze it ALL the time! Glad you liked it!

      Reply
    5. Jenn

      August 27, 2008 at 10:49 pm

      Just had the soup! DELICIOUS. I didn't have a mixer so it was rather "soupy." But it was oh so good. Thanks for the recipe. I might try to freeze some of it so I can have it next week for lunch. Do you think this is ok?

      Reply
    6. roni

      June 25, 2008 at 10:00 pm

      Jess - No, but that sounds interesting!! Maybe I'll make my own up! ;~P

      Reply
    7. Jess' food coma

      June 23, 2008 at 1:53 pm

      Have you ever tried to make Jamaican jerk chicken soup? I have no idea what's in it but I had some at a restaurant recently and you can really pack it with veggies like spinach and beans. Yum!

      Reply
    8. Joy

      May 19, 2008 at 2:19 pm

      Hi,

      This recipe sounds so yummy!

      What size canned did you use for the chiken broth and tomatoes.

      Thank you! =)

      ~I have so enjoyed looking through all your recipes and tips, I just wanted to thank you for doing this. I have 30lbs to loose and im hoping I can get there with your wonderful recipes! Thank you so much!

      Reply
    9. Rubydoo

      April 08, 2008 at 2:03 pm

      Hi Roni,

      I'm just sitting back after a fantastic bowl of this soup - had to improvise a bit (a lot less red chilli pepper as opposed to a jalapeno and I used some cajun seasoning in place of the chilli powder coz its all I had) and added a can of kidney beans as I am a particular fan of those - but I gotta say it was gorgeous. Such a great idea for a soup and a for a quick dinner at the end of the day.

      Just wanted to say thanks for the continued inspiration 🙂

      Reply
    10. Kate

      March 24, 2008 at 5:00 pm

      OK, so I commented above, but I finally got the chance to make your soup. I added some chicken and barley to beef it up a little bit, and it was great! Thanks for the idea!

      Reply
    11. Bethanne

      March 07, 2008 at 10:01 am

      This sounds great!!!!

      Reply
    12. Tina Vega

      March 07, 2008 at 8:35 am

      I love your recipe blog, I need all the help I can get!!! Your little helper is ADORABLE!

      Reply
    13. mrsdawngreen

      March 04, 2008 at 4:30 pm

      What a riot!
      Glad to see your little helper is as helpful as mine. I think it's great you let him cook with you. I do the same with my 3yo but he spit the pepper out the last time we made something with peppers. It looks delicious-we are going to get the ingredients to try it tomorrow. Thank you so much for the recipe (and the entertainment)!

      Reply
    14. roni

      March 03, 2008 at 10:30 pm

      Oh! and I recalculated the soup is exactly .5 so not quite 0. Sorry :~(

      Reply
    15. roni

      March 03, 2008 at 10:27 pm

      Thanks guys!

      Rebecca -

      It's pretty similar to the fresh. If you don't like it I'd skip it substitute parley for a milder fresh taste.

      Reply
    16. Christy

      March 03, 2008 at 4:41 am

      0 Points!! Oh yeah! This is also Core....even with Chicken or beans it would still be Core. You guys are too funny. I love tabasco. I think it is funny your little guy kept licking the lid. I used a recipe from the WW's site for a southwestern soup and added it to my site with some changes. I would LOVE to see what changes you might make to it. Also I found a recipe for making a rotisserie chicken in a crockpot. It was so good I had to remind my hubby to share!!

      Can't wait to see what you do next.

      Reply
    17. Sandy

      March 02, 2008 at 2:30 pm

      Great video - very entertaining! 🙂

      I LOVE this soup!! Just made it for lunch and it only took me about 20 min. Sure beats canned soups. It has a nice spicy kick to it, which I really like. I love to "bulk up" on food like this - then I'm not as inclined to overeat.

      Now I'm off to make your WW banana muffins - one of my absolute favorites. I love Sundays because I have extra time to cook.

      Thanks, Roni.

      Reply
    18. Kate

      March 01, 2008 at 10:46 am

      I think I'm going to make this tomorrow, I think. It sounds great!

      And I've said this before, but Ryan is adorable and hysterical. Great video!

      Reply
    19. Tracy

      February 29, 2008 at 11:01 pm

      i love your video clips. My son is 4 years March 1 and his name is Ryan too. I read your site every day and am inspired by you. I am starting my own site. to help me get in to the shape I wish to be. I am a WWatcher and am a follower of zone 40/30/30. Keep up the great content!!!

      Reply
    20. Nancy

      February 29, 2008 at 9:20 pm

      Looks great! I can't believe it's zero points. I need to buy one of those hand-mixers... It looks a lot less messy than having to transfer the soup to a food processor.

      Awesome video and Ryan is ADORABLE! I think he's going to grow up to like spicy foods by the looks of how much he like that tobasco sauce. Hahaha

      Reply
    21. Rebecca

      February 29, 2008 at 4:29 pm

      Again a great video. When I watch your videos my 11 and 5 year old always say "your watching that cute kid again." They think he is the star of the show.
      The soup looks great. My question is- what flavor does the dried cilantro have? I am not a huge fan of the fresh does it taste the same or have a different taste once dried?
      Keep it up. Glad you are feeling better.

      Reply
    22. Jennifer

      February 29, 2008 at 4:24 pm

      Looks delish! Rachael Ray is making tortilla soup Monday on her show... if you're home you should compare 😉 Feel better!

      Reply
    23. Michelly

      February 29, 2008 at 3:30 pm

      I didn't have time to watch the video yet, but the soup looks fantastic! I was going to suggest a produce pick--jicama. I love it raw, but am not sure how to cook it. I found a few recipes on-line. It's also suggested to add it to soups and stews, so it might be good in your soup!

      Reply
    24. Melanie Kann

      February 29, 2008 at 2:50 pm

      Girl, you better WORK that Zero Point soup of yours! You are a rockstar, and a continued inspiration to me as I join you on this maintenance journey. I agree, losing was the easy part!

      And your child is ADORABLE!

      Reply
    25. Girl On A Mission...

      February 29, 2008 at 1:34 pm

      Roni,

      This video is hilarious. I was watching it this afternoon and I cracked up laughing. His facial expressions are hilarious! Such a child, he kept putting the stopper in his mouth over and over again wanting to catch another taste! Adorable!
      What a great way to capture memories!

      The soup looks great!

      Reply

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