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Taco Soup

Taco soup with a bold Tex-Mex broth, tender beans and corn, and hearty diced tomatoes simmered until thick. Finished with shredded cheddar, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, jalapeños, cilantro, and avocado for a classic topping stack.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base
  • 1 lb ground beef Use 80/20 for best flavor; drain excess fat after browning.
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 4 cup beef or chicken broth
Topping
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.75 cup tortilla chips, crushed
  • 2 sliced jalapeños
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
  • 1 avocado Diced or sliced for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build flavor
  1. Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat and drain the fat. Cook until no pink remains, with browned bits left on the bottom of the pot.
  2. Sauté onion in the same pot for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add all canned ingredients, both seasoning packets, and broth to the pot, then stir to combine. Scrape up any browned bits so everything is evenly mixed.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Keep it at a gentle bubble until the flavors meld and the broth looks slightly thickened.
  3. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir well so the seasoning is evenly distributed before serving.
Serve with toppings
  1. Serve the taco soup topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, jalapeños, cilantro, and avocado. Add the chips last so they stay crunchy.

Notes

For a thicker, stew-like texture, simmer on the low end of 15-20 minutes uncovered. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave. Freezing is yes: freeze without the crunchy tortilla chips and dairy toppings, then add them after reheating. For a dairy-light option, swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.