Easy Taco soup is a hearty, flavorful, and versatile one-pot dish packed with healthy ingredients, perfect for a comforting and satisfying meal. Vegetarian-adaptable and gluten-free.
Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.
Robert Green Ingersoll
This easy Taco Soup recipe is so good, and it is super easy to make! Chances are, you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. There is no intense chopping or major prep work needed. Taco soup is a quick, easy meal that originates from the Southwest – filled with familiar Mexican flavors we love- think tacos in a bowl! The spices, beans, and veggies come together to create a totally satisfying meal that is perfect for busy days when you need something quick and tasty. We love meal-prepping this on Sundays for the week ahead. This is another versatile recipe that allows for plenty of customization based on your preferences and the ingredients you have on hand and can easily be made vegan.
Love South of the Border flavors? Try 45 Fresh & Tasty Mexican Recipes!
Table of Contents
Why You Will LOVE Taco Soup
- Easy to make: Taco soup is a convenient dish that can be prepared in just one pot, making it a time-saving option for busy days. Simply sauté the ingredients, add the seasonings and broth, and let it simmer until all the flavors meld together and dinner is served!
- Versatile and customizable: It can be easily customized based on your preferences and dietary needs. You can choose your favorite ingredients, such as ground beef, chicken, or plant-based alternatives, along with a variety of beans and vegetables.
- Rich and flavorful: The combination of spices, onions, garlic, and chili peppers in taco soup creates a rich and flavorful broth. It’s perfect for warming up on chilly days or when you’re craving a comforting meal.
- Healthy and nutritious: This soup is packed with nutritious ingredients like beans, tomatoes, corn, and vegetables. It’s a great source of fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, you can control the amount of sodium and adjust the toppings to make it even healthier.
- Endless topping options: One of the best parts about taco soup is the array of delicious toppings you can add to enhance the flavor and texture. From cheese to sour cream to avocado slices and crushed tortilla chips, you can get creative and tailor the toppings to your liking.
Taco Soup Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Protein: You can use ground beef or substitute it with vegetarian alternatives like plant-based meat or crumbles, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Or skip it and add another can of beans.
- Beans: We love black beans but you can use any beans you prefer- pinto beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, or a combination.
- Corn: Fresh, frozen, or even canned corn kernels. If using canned corn, make sure to drain and rinse it before adding it to the soup.
- Tomatoes: You can use canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes.
- Onion and garlic: These ingredients are the depth to the broth and add flavor to the soup.
- Poblano Pepper: Mild green chili with nice flavor. Use green bell pepper or canned green chilies if you prefer.
- Jalapeno Pepper: Gives a kick of spicy flavor. Use less or skip it for mild.
- Taco seasoning: Making your own is pretty simple, our homemade Taco Seasoning is tasty! You can use store-bought taco seasoning. Pay attention to the salt content.
- Broth: Chicken, beef or vegetable. This adds a flavorful base to the soup.
- Toppings: Some popular toppings for taco soup include cotija cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado slices, diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips. Feel free to customize it with your favorite toppings.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Taco Soup
Step One- Saute onion for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
Step Two- Add garlic, poblano, meat, taco seasoning and salt. Cook for 10 minutes on medium until meat is cooked through and lightly browned.
Step Three- Stir in corn, black beans, tomatoes, broth, salt, ancho chili powder, cumin and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If the taco soup seems watery, continue cooking it down for just a few more minutes.
Serve with your favorite toppings; avocado, cotija cheese, grated cheddar cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos, sour cream (or vegan sour cream), cilantro, or fresh lime.
Taco Soup FAQS
Taco soup will keep 5 days in a sealed airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Yes! Simply use plant-based crumbles for the meat, or double the beans or add more veggies.
Taco soup literally cooks in 30 minutes on the stove. You could crock pot it for about 2-3 hours on low, no longer than that as it may overcook it and get mushy.
A combination of spices- chili powder, cumin, powdered garlic, coriander, Mexican oregano, and chipotle powder or smoked paprika.
What to Serve with Taco Soup
More recipes you may enjoy
- Vegetable Stew
- Lentil Chili
- Vegan Chili
- Poblano Corn Chowder
- Pozole Rojo (Instant Pot or Stove top)
- 45 Fresh & Tasty Mexican Recipes!
- Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Taco Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Taco soup is a hardy, flavorful, and versatile one-pot dish packed with healthy ingredients, perfect for a comforting and satisfying meal. Vegetarian adaptable and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno, diced (use less for less spicy)
- 1 pound ground meat; beef, turkey, chicken, or plant-based (or skip and add more beans)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (see notes)
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped or canned green chiles
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 14-ounce can of black beans and the juice
- 14-ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes (fire-roasted adds more flavor)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt- adjust to taste!
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or chipotle powder or chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Suggested Topping Options: cotija cheese, avocado, grated cheddar cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos, sour cream (or vegan sour cream), cilantro, fresh lime.
Instructions
- Saute onion with avocado oil in a large soup pot for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic, jalapeno, meat, taco seasoning and salt. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat until meat is cooked through and lightly browned. (drain extra oil if desired- it does give a lot of flavor!)
- Stir in poblano pepper, corn, black beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, salt, ancho chili powder, cumin and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Toppings: Serve with cojita cheese, grated cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos, sour cream (or vegan sour cream), cilantro, fresh lime.
Notes
This soup is mild to medium spicy. Add more or less jalapeno to taste.
We used low sodium beans and chicken broth.
Taco Seasoning:1/2 T. chili pwd., 1 T. each: ground cumin, coriander, granulated garlic or garlic powder, 2 t. Mexican oregano, 1/4– 3/4 teaspoons ground chipotle powder (or smoked paprika or cayenne pepper), 2 t. salt, 1 t. sugar, 1/4– 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Mix together.
You can use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning. Note whether it contains salt and adjust the recipe if needed. 1 ounce packet = 3 tablespoons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 474.8 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 16.6 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg
Delish!! I think I’ll make it for the Super Bowl and everyone can pick their toppings!
Perfect, a great one for a crowd!
Oh my gosh, this is so good and so easy to make! I actually added Impossible plant based product in here and it was good. I’ll try vegetarian next time. 🙂 Delish!
Oh Great to hear Corrin!
Sorry, just saw your info about slow cooker. 2-3 hrs on low!
No problem, let us know what you think!
Hi there! How long would you cook this in a slow cooker?
Skipped the meat and added extra (chili) beans, red pepper, and jalapeños from our backyard. I used your taco seasoning recipe too. Super good on a cool fall Northern California night. Thank you! MAX
Awesome Max! Garden peppers-yum!!
Very delicious! Will definitely make this again.
So glad to hear this!
Loved it – perfect weeknight meal. Came together quickly and adaptable to different taste buds 🔥 in the household. Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear this Alli!❤️
Another awesome recipe. This was like a lighter, more brothy chili.
Nice description, so glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed this – definite comfort food. My favorite part, honestly, was your taco seasoning recipe. Loved it! I’ll never buy taco seasoning again given that your combo is so much better.
Great to hear Mary! Really appreciate your comments. 🙂
Your recipes are always the best. Could this be made in the instant pot? If so can you provide directions?
Hey Ali! Great question. We haven’t tried this in the instant pot you- so can’t give specifics here, but I am sure it can be done. I would use the saute function, mimicking the recipe, then pressure cook 10-15 minutues? Just guessing here!
We wish we could give it more than 5 stars!!! Sylvia, you’re amazing.
Made it the recipe, including the home made taco seasoning (yummy and easy).
I grabbed a rotisserie chicken cause I was in a hurry.
Came out fantastic! I’ll be making this allot!! Highly recommend.
Yay! Sound great and so happy you enjoyed!
I love making so many of your recipes! This one was a dream! Had almost all ingredients and I was off and running! Splendid! Thank you a million times over! ❤️
Glad you enjoyed Mariana!
Wasn’t sure what to expect but I had all the ingredients on hand so I dove in. It was so, so good. My husband said he liked it better than my chili (which he loves!)
I had 1/2 # each of ground lamb and ground beef, homemade organic chicken broth and oven simmered black beans from Rancho Gordo. Oh my!
Advice to all – just make it!
So happy to hear this Judith! Your ingredients definitely made it delicious.
Excellent!
Easy and yummy! Everyone really loved it. Feels like Fall. I made mine with ground Elk meat I used a half of poblano pepper & a can of green chilies. If you have everything chopped this soup comes together super fast. Love your website, you’re the best!!
Thanks Pamela, so happy to hear this!
Do you think this recipe would taste good with ground bison?
I think so!
Delicious soup – my husband and I enjoyed it sooo much!!!
So glad to hear this Ruth!
Can’t wait to make this. I adore when you share recipes that are Veg adaptable, thank you!
Let us know what you think!
Looks easy and delicious!
😊