Taco Soup is everything you know and love about tacos….in soup form! A quick and easy hearty soup made with taco flavoured ground beef, corn and beans, first timers are always cynical but with one bite, they are converted for life!
Don’t skip the toppings. They seal the deal. 🙂
Taco Soup
Even if you’ve never had Taco Soup before, if you enjoy Chili and Tacos, I guarantee that you will absolutely LOVE this.
Basically, it’s everything you know and love about beef tacos, toppings and all, except it’s in soup form. It’s kind of like Chili – thick and hearty with a fragrant broth that’s quite heavily flavoured with spices. Like any soup, it intended to be eaten with a spoon but to fully experience all that Taco Soup is intended to be, it should be served with at least a few corn chips for dunking!
This is a really quick and easy Taco Soup that can be made with either store bought seasoning OR a homemade taco seasoning
To make this super quick and easy, use a store bought packet of seasoning for convenience. But if you prefer, make your own – I don’t know about you, but I always have spices for taco seasoning in my pantry!
Homemade Taco Seasoning for Taco Soup
Quick and easy
This is a terrific quick and easy recipe. Kind of like making Bolognese – except we add taco flavourings! Cook onion and garlic until translucent, then brown the beef. Add taco seasoning, corn, beans, beef, canned tomato, beef or chicken broth, and canned green chili if you have it.
Simmer for just 10 minutes to bring the flavours together, then it’s ready to ladle into bowls.
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 – I’m not being difficult, it’s what this recipe is! The soup itself is lovely, don’t get me wrong. It’s seasoned enough that you’d want to eat it plain.
But in all honesty, once you add the toppings…. woah. That’s when this Taco Soup goes from yum to Can’t-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
More hearty, filling soups loaded with flavour!
-
White Chicken Enchilada Soup and tomato Shredded Chicken Enchilada Soup
-
Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch – or a quick version!
-
Browse all Soups
And more One Pot Ground Beef / Mince recipes
-
Cheeseburger Casserole (Homemade Hamburger Helper)
-
Chili Mac – mash up of Mac and Cheese with Chilli Con Carne, so good!
-
Asian Beef and Ramen Noodles – one skillet, 15 minutes
-
Browse all One Pot recipes and Ground Beef / Mince recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Easy Taco Soup recipe video!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients
Homemade Taco Seasoning (Note 1)
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp EACH dried oregano and paprika
- 2 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown or yellow)
- 500 g / 1 lb ground beef (mince), lean
- 400 g/ 14 oz can black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed (Note 2)
- 400g / 14oz can corn kernels (1 can) , drained and rinsed
- 120 g / 4.5 oz canned green chili (Note 3)
- 800 g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 2 cups beef broth
Toppings (Don't skip these!)
- Shredded cheese (essential!)
- Sour cream or yoghurt (essential!)
- Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves or shallots/scallions , finely sliced
- Corn chips
- Other options: diced avocado, squeeze of lime juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until softened (3 min).
- Add beef and turn up the heat to high. Cook, breaking it up as you go, until it all changes from pink to brown.
- Add remaining Soup ingredients and Taco Seasoning. Bring to a simmer then turn heat down to medium.
- Simmer for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together. Adjust thickness with water if desired.
- This is how I like to serve it: place a handful of corn chips in the bowl. Ladle in soup. Top with sour cream, cheese, coriander and a few crushed corn chips. For a healthier option, skip the corn chips in the bowl and/or serve more on the top / side of the soup.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This Taco Soup recipe was originally published in February 2017, updated September 2018 for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – readers love it as is!
LIFE OF DOZER
When I travel, I send Dozer off on his own holiday to a Golden Retriever boarder. He stays in her house, knows his place in the pecking order (he is way down the bottom), and has an absolute blast. Despite hopeful questioning, I am told there is never any signs of pining for me (see below for evidence).
Delicious and easy (even without the green chilli). I may have modified a little with some finely chopped celery and carrot and zucchini. This one is a winner.
I love this recipe- so quick and easy and full of flavour, but as Nagi says, don’t skimp on the toppings. I usually add a little more water to make it more of a soup consistency and stretch it to 5 delicious portions for lunch at work.
Nagi has done it again: tasty, easy, pretty cheap, kid-friendly, makes LOADS and modifiable! I’ve never found the green chillies but just leave them out and then whomever desires more spice in their life puts a glug of sriracha or something in upon serving. I sometimes use red capsicum in place of the beans, somtimes chuck other random vegies in and nobody notices! Serve in bowls with a big plate of toppings to add in the middle like cheese, avo, tomato, sour cream, chilli and coriander. Leftovers for days.
My children love this dish. Great combo of their favourite foods – nachos, soup and chili con carne! Definitely need to have the toppings for the full effect. Delicious. Another winner. Thanks Nagi.
Love this recipe and agree toppings…. it’s fantastic with good quality corn chips! My required add-on is chopped avocado, gives it a nice bit of extra creaminess.
Another spectacular recipe Nagi! Super flavorful & easy to prepare. Loved it!
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Made 5 servings and I’m absolutely in love with this recipe.
This was so good- I’m so glad I found this super simple, flavorful recipe. It is going in my regular rotation! Thanks so much!
Quick and easy to make but mine didn’t end up ‘soupy’, more like something to put on rice!? Think I will add more flavour next time, and maybe some tomato paste to give it some depth.
This is a family favourite on high rotation, and also the slow cooker chicken version. I am in Aus, no canned greened chillies for us, but I tipped in a jar of sliced jalapeños (drained) instead… fabulous.
Thanks Helen – I have noticed recently that some Coles carry roasted serranos in a jar which could also be used!! N x
Hi Nagi! I really want to try this but I don’t eat beef – how do you think it would work with chicken mince? Or have you any vego options??
You could try chicken mince for this one Brittany! N x
I have made the taco soup twice now. It’s quick, easy and delicious! It has a bit of a kick to it but my kids (11 & 14) love it. I made it with the skillet cornbread recipe last week. So yummy!!
Made this tonight and I’m seriously impressed at how quick it was and how I had many of the ingredients already on hand. It was perfect for a chilly night and my partner went back for seconds (it’s so simple I think I could even trust him with the recipe lol). Another winner from Nagi!
This recipe is great and the young kids in the extended family love it- which is a great way to get them to eat their veges.
We use salt reduced stock and soak our own black beans to reduce the sodium. Since kids love this recipe and its packed full of vegetables/legumes I would love to know any other totally yum recipes you have that deliver the goods for kids? 🙂
Green chiles may not be available in Australia but you could easily grow some in pots or in a garden there.
The green canned chillies used ate Anaheim. You can’t get them here in Oz. Oh I’ve tried.
I cannot believe how AMAZING this recipe is!! I honestly simmered it covered it for at least 30minutes. This is also not the only recipe that has disappointed me. I’m now planning on my focus on this website from now on. Thank you Nagi for the unlimited recipes. 🙂
Didn’t disappoint*
omg Goldens everywhere😊. What happy happy pics. Such beautiful puppies.
I have everything to make this. Can’t wait.
My wife is from MS and as we can’t get Rotel here in aussie every now and then I make up a large batch on bottle up in 1 cup jars.
Could I use that in this recipe?
I don’t see why not Wayne! N x
As my MS born wife can’t get Rotel here in aussie, every couple of years I make a large batch and bottle up in 1 cup jars.
Could use that in this recipe?
This soup is devine! So incredibly delicious.
Thanks so much Simone, I’m so glad you love it! N x
As usual this was an amazing and complete meal by itself .
Yes – totally customisable! N x