Name: Quick and Easy Taco Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 can whole kernel corn (15.25 ounces, drained); 1 can mild chili beans (16 ounces, undrained); 1 can pinto beans (15 ounces, rinsed and drained); 1 1/2 cups water; 1 envelope taco seasoning mix; 1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5 ounces); 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix; 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (10 ounces); 1 can chopped green chiles (4 ounces, optional)

This Quick and Easy Taco Soup contains all the bold flavors of a classic taco wrapped up in a warm, comforting soup. Laden with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn and tomatoes, this one-pot dish is a perfect weeknight stopgap and requires little prep time. Topped with your choice of garnishes and served with crispy tortilla chips, this is a delicious crowd-pleaser.

Why You’re Going to Love This Taco Soup:

Fast and Easy: A few minutes of prep work, a one-pot meal — this taco soup is as simple as you can make it. Viability, for busy weeknights when time is no joke.

Packed Full of Flavor: Between the taco seasoning, ranch mix, and green chiles, this soup has an incredible Southwest-inspired flavor and is oh-so satisfying.

Excellent for Leftovers: Taco soup gets better as it sits, so it’s a great choice for meal prep or lunches during the week.

Adaptable: This recipe is flexible for adding ingredients, toppings, or swaps for dietary needs.

Key Ingredients:

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Ground Beef: You want a lean ground beef (like 85% lean) to keep the soup hearty but not too greasy. If you want to lighten this up, you could use ground turkey or even make it vegetarian by omitting the meat.

Taco Seasoning: I love the convenience of pre-packaged taco seasoning, but homemade taco seasoning, if you have the time, adds a beautiful depth of flavor. Use a quick DIY mix (chili powder + cumin + garlic powder + onion powder + paprika).

Ranch Dressing Mix: This mix adds a slight creaminess and herbaceousness to the soup, which is an upgrade. It’s an unusual ingredient that gives the soup a surprise twist. If you don’t have it in your larder, a mix of dried parsley, dill, onion powder and garlic powder will do in a pinch.

Beans: This recipe uses chili and pinto beans, which add up to a nice hearty texture and offer tons of protein. Feel free to use black beans or kidney beans instead if you prefer. Be sure to drain and rinse the pinto beans so that the broth is not too starchy.

Diced tomatoes with green chiles: This adds a mild heat and tangy flavor. If you are sensitive to spice, use regular diced tomatoes instead.

Chopped Green Chiles: Not totally necessary here, but recommended for an extra kick! If you’d like your soup a little spicier, you could replace these with diced jalapeños.

Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below

Directions

Prepare Your Equipment

Prepare Ingredients and Equipment: Lay out all your ingredients and equipment. Use a wide Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot to fit the chili.

Cook the Ground Beef

Heat It Up: Set the Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.

Add and Brown Beef: Add 2 pounds ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. When pink bits are no longer visible — 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the Beef

Drain Off Excess Fat: Carefully remove excess fat so that the chili doesn’t get greasy. Tilt the pot and spoon or use a colander to remove fat.

Season the Beef

Season with Taco: Dust over beef an envelope of taco seasoning, stirring to coat evenly and season the meat.

Add the Ingredients

Mix in Pot: Add the next ingredients:

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can un-drained mild chili beans

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1½ cups of water

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 packet ranch salad dressing mix

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles (optional)

Stir Well: Combine everything, establish a hearty base with beans and tomatoes as ranch dressing mix deepens flavor.

Bring to a Boil

Increase Heat: Increase heat to medium-high, bringing mixture to a simmer to facilitate melding of flavors.

Simmer the Chili

Reduce and Simmer: Lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. This will make the chili thicker, and the flavor deeper.

Serve and Enjoy

Ladle Into Bowls: After simmering, serve hot.

Optional Toppings: Crunchy tortilla chips on the side, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion; all delicious options!

Serving Suggestions:

It is nice and adaptable as you can pair this with so many toppings and sides. Here are a few ideas for making your meal even better:

Very top: Add shredded cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, chopped green onions, cubed avocado or fresh cilantro to each bowl; the combinations for flavor and texture are endless.

Tortilla Chips or Cornbread: Serve with tortilla chips; cornbread can also be nice on the side for a creamy, hearty recipe like this.

Lime Wedges: A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens the flavors and adds a zesty finish.

Side Salad: A crisp green salad with a tart vinaigrette to balance the pungency and richness of the soup.

Storage and Meal Prep Tips:

This taco soup is great for leftovers and meal prep making it a great option for busy weeks.

Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen over time, so it tastes even better the next day!

Freezing: Taco soup freezes beautifully. Allow the soup to cool completely, then pour into freezer-safe containers or bags. In the freezer it will last for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; reheat.

Reheat: To reheat, just heat up the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring from time to time. You could also microwave individual portions, using a stir halfway through to heat evenly.

Meal Prep: Divide the soup into individual containers for easy grab-and-go lunches. Pack a small container of toppings (such as shredded cheese or diced avocado) to sprinkle on just before eating.

Recipe Variations:

Vegetarian Taco Soup: Leave out the ground beef and include an extra can of beans (black beans complement the soup nicely) and a few diced bell peppers for texture and taste.

Spicy Taco Soup: If you like it a little extra spicy, add a diced jalapeño or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the soup when cooking. Add spicy salsa or hot sauce to kick it up a notch.

Chicken Taco Soup: Replace the ground beef with shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast. To prevent the chicken from overcooking, add it after simmering.

Creamy Taco Soup: Before serving, stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese or a splash of heavy cream, for a richer, creamier version. This version is especially nice with shredded cheese and avocado.

Taco Soup With Rice: For an even heartier variation, stir in cooked rice just before the last 5 minutes of cooking. Feel free to use white or brown rice, or you can make this dish even more healthy by subbing quinoa for protein.

Conclusion:

This Easy and Quick Taco Soup is a weeknight mainstay, as easy to make as it is delicious. Made in one pot and with minimal prep, it’s a great choice for cozy family dinners, meal prepping or feeding a crowd. The beans, tomatoes, seasoned beef and bold spices make for a hearty, satisfying meal that’s just right for cold days or whenever you want a warming bowl of soup.

Try making this taco soup—you won’t regret it!