Our modern, plant-based spin on traditional Mexican tortilla soup, featuring heritage dried hominy and whole dried pasilla chilis. This vegetarian adaptation honors authentic techniques while offering a flavorful, meatless alternative to the classic. Learn about the rich history of Sopa Azteca and how to create complex flavors using traditional ingredients in this comforting, Mexican soup.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This isn't your average tortilla soup. By starting with dried hominy instead of canned, we're creating layers of flavor from the ground up. The dried pasilla chiles provide a smoky depth without overwhelming heat, while the fire-roasted tomatoes add a subtle char that elevates the entire dish. It's hearty enough to serve as a main course yet light enough to leave you feeling satisfied rather than stuffed.

The Rich History of Tortilla Soup

Known in Mexico as Sopa de Tortilla or Sopa Azteca, tortilla soup is perhaps the most widely recognized Mexican soup in the United States. Its origins reportedly trace back to ancient Aztec times, though the modern version we know today likely evolved in central Mexico. According to food historians, the soup originated in the Mexico City region, where it was traditionally made with chicken, chicken broth, pasilla chiles, tomatoes, and day-old tortillas.

Traditional tortilla soup always includes chicken and chicken stock – ingredients with their own fascinating history in Mexico. Interestingly, scientists believe that chickens arrived in the Americas via Polynesia long before the Spanish colonization, as detailed in this Forbes article. This pre-Columbian chicken migration represents one of history's most intriguing examples of cross-cultural exchange, adding another layer to the rich culinary heritage of Mexican cooking.

While my plant-based version replaces the traditional chicken and chicken stock with vegetable broth and additional vegetables, it remains faithful to the core flavors and preparation methods that make tortilla soup so beloved. This adaptation respects the dish's origins while making it accessible to those following plant-based diets.

Tortilla soup has become what I call the "gateway drug" to exploring Mexico's rich soup tradition. After falling in love with the complex flavors of tortilla soup, many American diners venture further into the world of hearty pozoles and restorative caldos. The Los Angeles Times published an excellent piece on the history and cultural significance of this beloved dish, noting how it has maintained many traditional elements while adapting to new audiences.

What makes tortilla soup so enduringly popular? Perhaps it's the perfect balance of textures – the crispy tortilla strips, the silky broth, and the various toppings that allow for customization. Or maybe it's the accessibility of a dish that feels simultaneously familiar and exotic to American palates. Whatever the reason, tortilla soup's journey from ancient Aztec tables to American restaurant menus demonstrates the remarkable staying power of truly great recipes.

Why This Plant-Based Version Works

My vegetarian adaptation swaps chicken stock for rich vegetable broth and relies on the robust flavors of dried chilis, fire-roasted tomatoes, and hominy to create a soup that's every bit as satisfying as the traditional version. While it's important to acknowledge that this is a modern interpretation rather than an authentic recipe, the techniques used – from toasting dried chilis to properly preparing hominy – remain true to traditional Mexican cooking methods.

What I love about this plant-based version is that it demonstrates how we can honor culinary traditions while adapting them to contemporary dietary preferences. The soul of tortilla soup isn't lost when we remove the chicken – it lives in the interplay of smoky chilis, acidic tomatoes, earthy hominy, and the crisp contrast of the tortilla strips.# Cozy Comfort in a Bowl: Plant-Based Tortilla Soup With Hominy

A modern vegetarian spin on traditional Mexican soup, made with whole dried chilis and heritage hominy

There's something magical about a steaming bowl of tortilla soup that warms both body and soul. Today, I'm excited to share my plant-based version that honors the deep, complex flavors of this Mexican classic while offering a modern, vegetarian alternative. The star of this show? Hominy – those plump, chewy corn kernels that add wonderful texture and a subtle sweetness to every spoonful.

The Magic of Whole Dried Chilis

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One of the secrets to the exceptional flavor in this recipe is the use of whole dried pasilla chilis rather than powders or pre-made sauces. Dried chilis are the backbone of traditional Mexican cooking, each variety offering its own unique flavor profile. Pasilla chilis (sometimes called chile negro) provide a rich, earthy flavor with moderate heat and subtle berry-like undertones.

When you toast whole dried chilis, you're awakening essential oils and developing complex flavors that simply cannot be replicated with powders. This extra step connects your cooking directly to centuries-old Mexican culinary traditions. Look for chilis that are pliable rather than brittle – this indicates freshness and better flavor.

What Makes Hominy Special?

If you're new to cooking with hominy, you're in for a treat. These are corn kernels that have been treated with an alkaline solution in a process called nixtamalization, which causes them to puff up and develop a unique texture and flavor. Unlike regular corn, hominy has a distinctly earthy quality and a pleasantly chewy bite that holds up beautifully in soups. It's not just delicious – it's also nutritionally superior to untreated corn, as the nixtamalization process increases the availability of certain nutrients like niacin, calcium, and protein.

Dried vs. Canned Hominy: Why Go the Extra Mile

While many recipes call for canned hominy for convenience, cooking with dried hominy elevates your dish to an entirely new level. Dried hominy offers several advantages:

Superior texture: Dried hominy, when properly cooked, maintains a firmer, more pleasant bite that stands up better in soups.
Better flavor: Without the metallic undertones that can come from cans, dried hominy has a cleaner, more pronounced corn flavor.
Control over sodium: You determine exactly how much salt goes into your hominy.
Environmental impact: Less packaging waste compared to multiple cans.
Heritage varieties: Access to traditional corn varieties that aren't available in canned form.

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We particularly love the hominy from Chef Dave "Smoke" McCluskey. Corn Mafia handcrafts hominy using heritage corn varieties and his unique indigenous wood ash nixtamalization. These eirloom corns, many of which are listed in the Slow Food Arc of Taste catalog, offer complex flavors that mass-produced hominy simply can't match. The Arc of Taste is an international catalog of endangered heritage foods that Slow Food aims to preserve before they're lost forever.

Using non-GMO, heritage corn varieties isn't just about superior flavor – it's about preserving agricultural biodiversity and supporting traditional farming methods that have sustained communities for centuries. When you cook with these special ingredients, you're participating in a food tradition that connects you directly to the cultural roots of this magnificent soup.

Make It Your Own

This plant-based adaptation is wonderfully versatile:

Spice level: For a milder soup, use only 1-2 pasilla chiles. For more heat, add a small dried chipotle pepper to the mix. Using whole dried chilis rather than powders gives you much more control over the flavor profile.
Protein boost: Add cubed firm tofu or tempeh in the last 10 minutes of cooking. These plant-based proteins add substance without overpowering the traditional flavors.
Texture variations: Toss in diced zucchini, corn kernels, or bell peppers for added vegetables and texture.
Time-saving hack: If you can't find dried hominy, canned will work in a pinch—just rinse well and add during the final 10 minutes of cooking. However, for the best experience, seek out quality dried hominy from heritage corn varieties.
Pozole variation: With a few adjustments, this soup can transform into a vegetarian pozole. Simply increase the hominy, adjust the broth ratio, and serve with traditional pozole garnishes like shredded cabbage, radishes, and oregano.

Serving Suggestions

This soup shines as a main course with a simple side salad, but it also makes a wonderful starter for a Mexican-inspired feast. I particularly love serving it before enchiladas or alongside fresh guacamole and chips.

The beauty of this soup is in the contrast of textures—from the silky broth to the chewy hominy to the crispy tortilla strips. Each spoonful offers something new to discover, making it far more interesting than your average vegetarian soup.

What I love most about this recipe is how it proves that vegetarian cooking doesn't mean compromising on depth or complexity. By building layers of flavor through careful technique—toasting chiles, concentrating the puree, simmering with fresh herbs—we create a soup that's every bit as satisfying as its meat-based counterparts.

Whether you're a committed vegetarian or simply looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into your rotation, this tortilla soup deserves a place in your recipe collection. While it respectfully departs from tradition in its protein source, it honors the culinary heritage that inspired it through technique and flavor combinations. It's comfort food with character, nourishment with nuance, and above all, absolutely delicious.

From Tortilla Soup to Pozole: Your Mexican Soup Journey

As mentioned earlier, tortilla soup often serves as the first step in exploring Mexico's rich soup tradition. Once you've mastered this recipe, consider venturing into the world of pozole – a hominy-based stew that traditionally contains pork but can be adapted for plant-based diets just as we've done here. The techniques you've learned here – working with dried hominy, toasting dried chilis, building complex flavor bases – will serve you well as you explore further.

By cooking with heritage ingredients like non-GMO dried hominy and whole dried chilis, you're not just making a delicious meal – you're participating in the preservation of culinary biodiversity while adapting traditions to contemporary needs. This balance of respect for tradition and openness to innovation is what keeps culinary heritage alive and relevant.

Buen provecho!

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