More Soups The Whole Family Will Love
My Tuscan Tortellini Soup is a comforting one-pot meal thats perfect for a chilly winter day. Its so easy to make and is bursting with delicious Tuscan flavors. Baked Sweet Potato Soup loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and onions for the ultimate in comfort food! Or try a homemade take on Chick-fil-As Chicken Tortilla Soup that tastes even better than the original and that you can enjoy year-round !
If you make this Quick and Easy Taco Soup, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram so I can see. I love seeing how inspired and creative yall get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
The Ingredients Youll Need
Not only is taco soup easy to make, it uses lots of pantry staples. Whenever the fridge is looking bare, this is the soup we turn to. Heres a quick rundown of what you need to make it:
Ground meat makes this soup easy and hearty. Use what you love beef, pork, turkey, and chicken are all excellent options. I love making the soup a little lighter/healthier and use lean ground turkey.
Onions and garlic add lots of flavor to the soup.
Taco seasoning is a must. It is taco soup, after all. The store-bought packets will do in a pinch, but for the tastiest taco soup, make your own seasoning. I promise its easy to do. Heres our recipe for homemade taco seasoning and Ive also talked about what goes into it below.
Canned tomatoes, canned green chiles, canned beans, and canned or frozen corn add even more flavor and heartiness.
Stock or broth makes up the base. Store-bought will work or you can make your own. Heres our homemade chicken stock recipe.
Fresh dill is our secret ingredient. I know it seems a little odd for a taco-inspired dish, but holy smokes does it add amazing flavor. Its also our way of adding the flavor of Ranch to the soup. Its common to add a packet of Ranch seasoning to taco soup. Instead of the store-bought packet, we go for the real thing and stir in lots of fresh dill . Try it, its so good!
Why You Need To Make This Taco Soup
This easy soup is made with ground meat, beans, veggies, homemade taco seasoning, and a secret ingredient for the best, most flavorful soup. I just know that you and your family will love it.
Think of this taco soup as everything we love about taco night made into a healthy, hearty, and delicious soup all made in one pot!
You are looking at about 30 minutes when making it on the stovetop, which makes this perfect for weeknight dinners. You can also use a slow cooker or a pressure cooker to make it, there are instructions below.
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I Love Using Homemade Taco Seasoning
Just as I mentioned above, store-bought taco seasoning will do the trick, but for the tastiest taco soup, we highly recommend putting together your own seasoning blend.
Its not difficult to do and you probably have most of what you need in your spice cabinet already. We talk all about why we think our homemade blend is best and our tips for making it in this article.
Heres a list of the basic spices we use:
- Chili powder We recommend our homemade chili powder. Your favorite store-bought chili powder works, too.
- Ground cumin This adds an earthy, smoky flavor. It is common in Tex-Mex, Mexican, and curry recipes.
- Hot smoked paprika This adds a hot, smoky flavor. Chipotle chile powder is a great alternative.
- Ground coriander This adds a light, citrus flavor.
- Cayenne pepper This adds heat. Add as much or little as needed for your desired spice level.
Recipe Variations And Tips For Taco Soup:
- Swap out the ground beef for ground chicken, turkey or pork
- Use pinto beans rather than kidney beans
- Add in a packet of dry ranch dressing to spice it up
- Mix in a small can of diced green chilies for some extra heat
Now I get to pass this recipe on to you. Print it out and share it with a friend, just like my friend did with me, so many years ago!
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A Quick And Easy Soup Recipe
This easy Taco Soup Recipe combines two of my favorite things ground beef tacos and belly-warming soup! Ground beef is inexpensive meat for many soups from Easy Hamburger Soup to Cabbage Roll Soup.
Its a bit like chili in the hearty healthy goodness but the flavor is taco-inspired!
- Ready in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- One pot means less dishes to wash.
- Uses simple ingredients and pantry staples.
- This soup welcomes add ins like veggies.
- Family friendly, its mild and you can add your favorite toppings
Customize This Taco Soup Recipe:
This soup is delicious as-is, but you can mix up the flavorings and customize the recipe to your taste.
- Protein. Use any type of ground meat or you can even use cooked shredded chicken.
- Spicy. To give this taco soup an extra kick of heat, add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Additionally, you can use hot green chiles and hot & spicy taco seasoning.
- Low carb. To keep this soup low carb or for a keto taco soup, double the amount of ground meat and omit the beans and corn. You can even stir in about 1 1/2 cups cauliflower rice during the last 5 minutes of the cooking process.
- Creamy. After the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the stove and stir in 1 cup sour cream or 8 ounces cream cheese or 1 cup heavy cream.
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More About This Recipe
- Soup is a staple dinner not only because it warms you from head to toe on a cold day, but also because it makes for a great leftover meal that you can store in your freezer to keep on hand for busy nights. This taco soup and other soups made with beef and veggies are an especially good choice for making ahead of time. Seal this taco soup in freezer bags and lay them flat in your freezer so theyre easy to stack and dont take a lot of space when frozen. When youre ready to eat some tasty taco soup for dinner, let the soup defrost in the bags overnight in the refrigerator. Then, simply place into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until heated through. Top your soup with extra shredded cheese and any one of your favorite taco toppings like sour cream or avocado. And soup season isnt limited to just the winter. Enjoy soup all year round but never get bored! These easy ways to take your soup up a notch are here to help.
How Do You Make Taco Soup
First, gather your ingredients: Some ground beef, an onion, a couple cans of beans, canned tomatoes, green chiles, and corn. Youll also need some ranch dressing seasoning and taco seasoning, which you can make in advance or purchase.
After browning ground beef and onions in a large Dutch oven, you open all the cans youre planning to use and dump them in the pot. Go ahead, do it: beans, tomatoes, corn, chiles, liquid and all, then add some water and the seasonings and let it all simmer away until everything looks too good to resist.
Come dinnertime, serve it bowls over corn chips or with flour tortillas on the side. Dress it up with toppings, as many as your bowl will hold. Its a taco, after all.
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Storage And Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Store taco soup in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after making. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To Freeze: Allow soup to cool completely. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw soup in the refrigerator overnight and simmer on the stove until warm, or warm in the microwave.
Toppings For Taco Soup
Taco Soup is all about the toppings. You cannot skip the toppings.
Let me repeat you cannot skip the toppings!!! You may omit one of the toppings. Leaving out two is really pushing my boundaries. ?
But let me explain Im not being difficult, its what this recipe is! The soup itself is lovely, dont get me wrong. Its seasoned enough that youd want to eat it plain.
But in all honesty, once you add the toppings. woah. Thats when this Taco Soup goes from yum to Cant-Stop-Eating-It-Delicious. THAT is when you will say OMG! Where has this been all my life!
A pinch of grated cheese plus sour cream or yoghurt is my absolute bottom line, preferably with some fresh coriander/cilantro leaves. This is the way I serve it most of the time.
But when I want to go all out, I add a handful of corn chips for dunking/scooping along with a few crushed to sprinkle over the surface really takes it to the next level. When you do this, it totally makes it irresistible. Think the flavour of crispy taco shells in soup form. Nachos in soup form.
Crazy irresistible!! Nagi x
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How To Make It On The Stovetop
To make the soup on the stovetop, youll need a large soup pot I like using my Dutch oven. Here are the basic steps for making it:
- Brown ground meat in a bit of oil.
- Move the browned meat to one side of the pot then add chopped onions. Cook the onions until softened.
- Stir in taco seasoning and minced garlic.
- Stir in canned tomatoes, canned green chiles, canned beans, corn kernels, and stock.
- Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes then serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Whats In This Easy Taco Soup
I grew up with a dad who always had back-ups. And back-ups for back-ups. Ive become my stock-the-pantry dad with cans of tuna fish and packages of pasta and bottles of hot sauce stacking my shelves. When it comes to making meals on the fly, its a relief to know I can head to the cupboard and freezer turn nothing into something because I have just about everything already on hand.
Heres whats in this taco soup recipe:
- Ground beef. I use 85% ground chuck or 90% lean ground sirloin
- Yellow onion
- Frozen corn kernels
- Ground chile powder, cumin, and garlic powder
- Kosher salt
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How To Make It In A Pressure Cooker
To make the soup in a pressure cooker , youll only need a pressure cooker. No extra skillets are required! Here are the basic steps for making it:
- Use the SAUTE function of your pressure cooker to brown the ground meat in a little oil.
- Move the browned meat to one side of the pot then add chopped onions and cook, stirring around the pot, until softened.
- Add the stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned or stuck bits at the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Seal the lid, and then cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release, and then serve.
How To Make Taco Soup
- Cook ground beef in a large pot along with chopped onion, crumbling and stirring occasionally until browned and adding jalapeno and garlic during last few minutes of browning. Drain excess fat .
- Stir in tomatoes with chiles, beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, ranch dressing mix and season with salt and pepper to tastes.
- Cover pot with lid and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in corn, black beans and pinto beans and cook until heated through.
- Add 1/2 cup water to thin soup if desired. If using cilantro and lime add it now.
- Serve warm topped with desired toppings.
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How To Make Easy Taco Soup
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Stir in the taco seasoning mix and ranch dressing mix until well combined with the browned meat.
Add all remaining ingredients . Bring the soup to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, and tortilla chips. Enjoy! Store any leftover taco soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To freeze taco soup, allow it to cool completely before storing in a plastic freezer-safe container. This storage container set is my absolute favorite because it has various sizes for storing different amounts. The smaller container are great for freezing individual portions to defrost and enjoy for lunch or a snack. The larger containers are great for freezing family meals or larger dishes. Click here for more tips on freezing your favorite foods.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- No need to waste that beautiful bean liquid! I like adding undrained beans to dishes like soups and chili. The liquid adds a little extra thickness and body to the soup. You can definitely drain them if you prefer add an additional ½ cup of water to compensate for the missing liquid.
- Make sure to break up the meat as it cooks so you dont end up with large chunks of beef in the soup.
- If you use fatty ground beef, you will have to drain some of the fat, so the taco soup doesnt become oily.
- For more heat, you can add jalapenos to the soup.
- Feel free to use low sodium broth instead of water if you have some on hand.
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Taco Soup Recipes Faqs
How long does taco soup take to cook?
Homemade taco soup from scratch takes 30 minutes to cook from start to finish, including only 5 minutes of prep. Simply cook the ground beef and veggies, add other ingredients and broth, and allow it to cook further on the stove.
How long does taco soup last?
Leftover taco soup lasts 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can also freeze taco soup for 4-6 months by storing it in a freezer-safe bag after cooling. Reheat on the stove by allowing the soup to reach a simmer for 20 minutes or until heated through.
What kind of cheese do you put on taco soup?
Cheese makes a fantastic addition to top taco soup with. The best cheese for taco soup is any cheese you prefer to top your tacos with a Mexican blend works very well with this taco soup recipe.
How Do You Make Taco Soup With Ranch Dressing Mix
Truly, in my opinion, ranch seasoning is the secret ingredient in this soup, which makes the soup more taco than chili. Go ahead, try it, even if youre not a ranch dressing fan. I promise you youll like it.
I have recipes for Homemade Ranch Seasoning and Taco Seasoning, too you know exactly what youre getting when you make your own.
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Fast And Easy Taco Soup
If the recipe has taco in the title, I probably love it. Taco Casserole? Yum! Slow Cooker Taco Soup? Yes, please!
This Stovetop soup is based on my Slow Cooker Taco Soup recipe, but is ready in 30 minutes. Sometimes mornings are busy and I cant get everything ready in the Slow Cooker in time, so this fast stovetop recipe makes Taco Soup possible.
Also, did I mention this is a 1 pot recipe? Yup, dont you love it? Youre going to brown the ground beef in a pot, and then use that same pot to add all the other soup ingredients. Less dishes equals more happiness in my opinion!
This Taco Soup is a favorite of my family, and it can totally be customized with toppings depending on what you like. For example, Matthew prefers crushed up tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese on his, while Enceladus and I are team avocado and cheese all the way. However you decide to serve it, you must try it!
How To Make Taco Soup In An Instant Pot:
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How To Freeze Taco Soup
This taco soup makes a GREAT freezer meal. It holds up really well and reheats perfectly. Check out my easy freezing tips below.
How Do You Customize Taco Soup
Taco soup is gluten-free and dairy-free, so its great for those who dont tolerate them. Adding floury or dairy ingredients is optional, as a topping.
And the best part about this easy taco soup recipe is that it can be customized to suit your familys tastes! Does your family enjoy spicy dishes? Use a spicy variety of canned tomatoes with chilies or top your soup with fresh jalapenos. Would your family rather avoid hot spices? Opt for a milder alternative by using diced tomatoes without chilies.
Switch the black beans with pinto or red beans if you like them better, add ranch salad dressing or change the spices as you like them. Taco seasoning is a must, though. Also, if you like garlic, feel free to add some.
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