Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa.
This Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa is just what every cold January day needs. It’s the easiest tortilla soup recipe to prepare, full of good for you ingredients, and so delicious. Just toss everything into your crockpot (or your instant pot) and cook low and slow all day. No extra steps, and nothing fancy. Just one thing…be sure to top each bowl off with plenty of tortilla chips, some good cheese, and an avocado. Tortilla soup perfection.

Hey, hi and happiest Monday to you all!
I spent my weekend endlessly working away on the computer, and I have to say, I am sooo glad Monday is here. I finished most of what I needed to, which makes me so happy. This week will be all about getting back into the kitchen and staying very far away from the computer. Well, at least during the day anyway.
I may or may not have had a mini 30 minute breakdown Saturday night, thanks to a very tired mind. But I’ve recovered, and like I said, I am so ready to conquer this week. It’s going to be a good one. Really going for the positivity today! Fake it till you make it true, right?!
Yup.

I’m very excited to tell you about this soup. Over Christmas break I made two brand new soup recipes, and both turned out SO GOOD! This is one of those soups. The other will be coming soon (should it come this week or shall I save it for next week?). Either way, keep an eye out for it.
It’s nothing like this tortilla soup…
Which is truly so good. Let me explain. This tortilla soup is vegetarian, has a good amount of heat, a smoky flare, some quinoa for heartiness, and the best toppings ever.
Plus, it’s so easy. Simply take all of your ingredients and add them to your crockpot and cover. Slow cook for a few hours until everything has had a chance to cook down and turn into a spicy, flavorful tortilla soup. There’s no pan searing anything first, no extra dishes, and quite honestly, no matter how challenged you may think you are in the kitchen, I feel confident that just about anyone can make this.
I hope I don’t get into trouble for saying that, but I’m sticking to it. This soup is that easy.

But the very best part? While this soup is easy, it’s also really, really good…and healthy too. I used a combination of onion, garlic, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, and chipotle peppers to flavor the soup, in addition to fire roasted tomatoes. The quinoa helps to tame the heat, and provides a healthy filling grain.
As with any tortilla soup, it’s all about the toppings. I like to add crushed tortilla-chips, sliced avocado, plenty of crumbled feta, and maybe even a dollop of Greek yogurt. Oh, and some fresh cilantro too. It’s a lot, but man, it’s all so good.
Bonus points if you also top your soup with slices of sweet mango like I did. I know it might seem weird, but if you trust me, you’ll try it too. And I’m very confident you’ll greatly enjoy it.

If you make this tortilla soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa.
Super easy, full of good for you ingredients, and so delicious. Just toss everything into your crockpot (or instant pot) and cook low and slow all day. No extra steps, and nothing fancy. Tortilla soup perfection!
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2-3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- tortilla chips, diced mango, sliced avocado, feta, and yogurt, for serving
Instructions
Crockpot
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1. In the your crockpot, combine the onion, poblano, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, oregano, broth, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. If the soup is thick, you can thin with additional broth.
2. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt, to taste.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips, mango, avocado, feta, yogurt, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
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1. In the your instant pot, combine the onion, poblano, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, oregano, broth, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function.
2. Stir in the lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt, to taste.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips, mango, avocado, feta, yogurt, and cilantro. Enjoy!

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Yum! This looks so good! This will have to go into our dinner rotation this week. And thank you for still including slow cooker instructions. I know Instant Pots are becoming really popular, but I just don’t have room in my small kitchen for another appliance, and I love my slow cooker!
Thank you Joanna! I hope you love this!
FETA???? Sacrilegious! How about Cotija?
That would work great as well! I hope you love this Lee!
I AGREE!!! Thanks for the crock pot recipes!!!
This looks delicious – I may add some grilled chicken strips for my carnivores. Can’t wait to make it this week.
Thank you so much Rose! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope it turns out amazing for you!
Really nice soup. I’ll add chicken breast strips and ditch the FETA! A different cheese for me on this. As long as Instant Pot Instrux are still included in these slow cooker recipes, we are all good.
Thank you Joyce!
Could you add some chicken tenders to the crock pot to add some meat to this soup?
Sure! That will work really well. I would add 1 pound. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Hi – I’m a newbie with the Instant Pot (recieved mine as a Christmas gift). In your experience with these recipes that can go either Slow Cooker or Instant Pot (high pressure) – have you noticed a difference in the outcome (taste/texture)? In this recipe for example – do you have noticed a difference? If yes – which way do you prefer? Thanks!
HI! In this recipe, it really doesn’t matter. Because there is no meat involved, either option is great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Crockpot and vegetarian! Thank you!
I hope you love this Kristen! Thank you!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I did add some black beans for some extra protein. This will be a regular recipe from now on!
I am so glad you loved this Amber! Thank you!
So excited to try!! Any modifications for stovetop? I was going to try simmering for 30-40, but would first love your thoughts! Thank you for the beautiful recipe, as always.
HI! I would recommend 20-30 minutes, but simmering on the stove is great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I love these flavors, what a perfect soup for chilly January days!
Thank you so much Laura!
I’m always looking for vegetarian dishes that will please my meat-loving significant other. This looks sooo good. If I want to add a can of black beans, should I add that with all of the ingredients at the beginning?
I would add the black beans towards the end of cooking, during the last 30 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I have this in the crockpot now! Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to add the adobe sauce or just the peppers from the can. Can’t wait to have for dinner tonight.
I hope this turns out amazing for you Beth! Thank you for trying it!
This was the second Half Baked Harvest recipe I made this week. 2 for 2! I made this in the crockpot exactly as directed. The recipe is so easy, and I admit that I was skeptical that it would be very flavorful. I was so wrong! It is delicious with all of the toppings suggested! I added rotisserie chicken to the bowls of the omnivores in my family, and I enjoyed the vegetarian version immensely. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe!
I am so glad you loved both, Julie! Thank you so much!
So warming and delicious.
Made it, loved it !
Thanks Tieghan
Thank you Kim!
Another awesome recipe! I couldn’t find poblano peppers at any of the Canadian grocery stores 🙁 Is there anything else I can add to it? or will the recipe suffer without them! I guess I will know in 6 hours…..
HI! You can use a bell pepper. that will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Any recommendations for stovetop instructions? My crockpot was tragically left behind at a holiday party!
Just simmer everything on the stover for 25-30 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I made this yesterday in the Instant Pot and the overall flavor is great but mine turned out way too spicy. (And I’m a Texan who loves heat). My alterations were using chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, cut back to 1.5 jalapeños, and I already had cooked quinoa so I added that at the end, and then I used immersion blender to purée it. The flavor was really good but I could barely eat it since it was so spicy. Jalapeños can be so unpredictable, next time I will only add one jalapeño (or a half) and can always add more as garnish. It was really easy to make using Instant Pot directions.
Hi Stephanie! I apologize that this was too spicy for you. I hope you try this again with less heat and enjoy it! Thank you!
Yum!! This will be perfect to prep for my lunches. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
I am so glad you loved this Bre! Thank you so much!
Do you think I can do a combo of brown rice and quinoa? Love all your recipes!
Sure! That sounds great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Do you think I can use a combo of quinoa and brown rice? Love all your recipes!
Had this for dinner over the weekend. I omitted the chipotle peppers, because I have several non-spicy eaters. It was still really good. I will totally make it again. All of my family members loved it.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Bethany!
Looks great! Can’t wait to try it. I know in the crockpot you said to add the black beans with 30 min left- would you just add them at the end for the instant pot? Or would they hold up ok adding them
In the beginning?
Thanks!
I think they would hold up fine in the instant post. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Wondering if you use the Adobo sauce or just the peppers? And when do you add the lime zest? Thanks! Make in the instant pot tonight.
HI! I just use the peppers, but some of the sauce usually stays on the peppers. Add the zest at the end. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I cooked it in a Dutch oven since I didn’t have time for the crock pot, which came out great! I also added beans and a red pepper for added veggies!
I am so glad you loved this Britta! Thank you so much!
Made this exactly as directed but used two chicken breasts instead of quinoa. Amazing! Perfect for a week of lunches
I am so glad this turned out amazing for you, Natalie! Thank you!
awesome recipe dear thanks for sharing
Thank you! I am so glad you like this!
This is in my slow cooker right now making my apartment smell amazing. I can’t wait to have it for dinner on this chilly evening! I too thought the feta sounded weird so I am going to use shredded Monterey Jack. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, this is quickly becoming my favorite food blog!
I hope you love this Barb! Let me know how it turns out for you! Thank you so much!
Made this last week, and it was really delicious and super easy. Might even let my dad have a shot at this (if I put everything he needs to put in in a basket with the recipe) and that poor guy once tried to bake a frozen pizza with plastic still on. Taste was spicy but not spicy enough you can’t taste anything else going on, and even my quinoa hating friend loved it so much he took home the leftovers! I couldn’t find fire roasted tomatoes, so I replaced them with regular canned diced tomatoes and added some smoked paprika powder to add in the smokey flavor.
I am so glad you loved this Elena! Thank you so much!
I had to comment because I made this last night and we had it today for lunch and it was sooo good and so easy to throw together in the slowcooker. And I’m realizing I forgot the lime juice at the end. Still amazing. I added a can of drained/rinsed black beans to stretch the recipe a bit and served with homemade corn tortilla chips. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much Laura! I am so glad you loved this soup! xTieghan
I won’t be home in 6 hours of cook time and I’m worried about the quinoa soaking up all the delicious juice. Can I wait too cook quinoa later and add it in or should I add some extra liquid beforehand?? Can’t wait!
HI! Yes, you can wait to cook the quinoa, Just stir it in before you are ready to eat. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Would this recipe fit in a 2 quart crock pot?
Hey Karrie! This is a bit too much for a 2q. Try cutting the recipe in half to use in your crockpot. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Loved this. I made the slow cook version with only 1 jalapeño instead of two and added a little coconut milk at the end, and it was still SO SPICY! I’m a wimp though, and my boyfriend thought it was the perfect amount of heat. Total hit. Will definitely be making this again!
Hi! I am so glad you both loved this recipe! I hope it turns out better with a little less heat for you! xTieghan
This was sooo good! We doubled it and have meals for the week plus a whole container to freeze. Any freezing advice?
Hey Sarah! You can freeze the soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3-4 months. In the fridge or on the counter and then just warm up on the stove! Glad you love this recipe! xTieghan
Waaaaay too spicy – couldn’t eat it.
Hi! I am so sorry to hear that! Is there anything I could help you with? xTieghan
If I put chicken thighs in the recipe would I have to increase the time for the instant pot? If so, how much more time should I add to the 8 mins?
ps, I’ve also made this recipe to a tee and loved it.
Hey Corey! Chicken thighs will be so great! I would cook a total of 10 minutes to ensure they cook all the way. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Hello,
My kids don’t like quinoa. Any suggestions to replace the quinoa?
Hey Nicole! I would use an equal amount of rice instead! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I love all of your recipes and am really excited to try this one out. I have two questions about adding meat to this recipe. If I want to add chicken breasts, should I cut them into strips before I add them, or can I just put the breasts in and then shred them at the end (if I do this, how long should I cook them in the instant pot)? Also, if I add the chicken, will I need to add any more liquid? Thank you!
Hi! You can just put the breast in, then shred them once finished cooking, That will work wonderfully! If cooking in the instant pot, cook 8 minutes. No need to add additional liquid. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This is definitely good soup for the soul! I’m cooking for a household of 30-something guys and they all love it. Its a top contender on the weekly rotation! I use more broth and bulk it up with a corn, bell pepper and more quinoa. I’ve also starting tossing in a couple chicken breasts to cook, then pull it apart before serving. Don’t be tempted to use the entire can of Chiles in Adobo, won’t be making that mistake again. This is such a great base soup for creative additions!
Hi Lindsay! I am so glad this turned out so well for all of you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Just made this for dinner and it was delish! Perfect amount of spicy IMO. Thanks Tieghan!
Thank you Jess!! xTieghan
So good!! Made this in the instant pot and loved the flavor! Added beans with the cilantro and lime juice after cooking and it was amazing!!
I am so happy you loved this one, Maddie! Thank you! xTieghan
The BEST crockpot recipe I’ve ever tried!! I’ve been making this once a week since I discovered it.
Hey Daria,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Holy spicy but SOOO AMAZING! I did do 3 adobo chiles with all the seeds (I’ll do 2 next time)
I added a 1 1/2 lbs of cubed raw chicken breast and sautéed the veggies in the instant pot first with a little evoo.
Came out perfect, incredible flavor!
Hey Alex,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
I made this in my crockpot. Very spicy, but so good and comforting on these cold days. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Beverly,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Could you put all the slow cooker ingredients in a bag and freeze it to make in the future?
Hey Sarah,
Yes, I think that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!! xTieghan