Quick and Easy Taco Soup
Experience the bold Mexican flavors of this Quick and Easy Taco Soup, a wholesome dish that comes together effortlessly in just 30 minutes. With just 10 minutes of prep, this satisfying soup, showcasing ground beef, tomatoes, corn, beans, and taco seasoning, is prepared to delight your taste buds with its savory goodness.
Quick and Easy Taco Soup is a great “go-to” recipe for those cold days, busy days, or those days when you just want to cook something easy. This is probably one of the easiest soups you can make. This recipe serves a crowd and also makes for some fabulous leftovers.
This Taco Soup is screaming with a bold flavor. You get all of the taste of tacos in a warm and comforting soup. Serve a pot of this soup on any fall or winter night, and it will be a hit with your family. This is true comfort food!
What Is Taco Soup
Taco Soup is a hearty and flavorful soup full of ground beef, sausage, beans, corn, tomatoes, and seasonings. Delicious and warming. The classic taco flavors inspire it, and I bet most of the ingredients are in your pantry. It is known for its simplicity and versatility and is often cooked in one pot, making it convenient for busy weeknights. This soup is simmered until all the flavors meld together, then served in a bowl and garnished with your favorite toppings. This recipe captures the essence of tacos in an easy and comforting soup, making it a delicious choice for families craving a simple and flavorful meal.
Why This Recipe is Fabulous
The bold taste and effortless preparation make this easy taco soup recipe fabulous. This recipe caters to busy lifestyles but provides comfort and convenience for a pantry-to-table dinner recipe for any night of the week. A delicious and stress-free dinner that is flavorful and always a crowd pleaser.
Quick Dinner: This recipe is straightforward, making this dish ideal for those busy days when getting dinner on the table seems impossible.
Budget Friendly: The ingredients for taco soup are budget-friendly and easy to find in most grocery stores. It is a great way to prepare an economical and satisfying meal.
Meal Prep Friendly: Make a large batch of soup, refrigerate it in individual containers, and reheat it for lunch or dinner during the week.
Crowd Pleaser: Whether cooking for your family or a crowd, taco soup is always pleasing. Serve this soup on taco night for a change.
Versatile: Customize this soup with different vegetables or beans and swap up the toppings according to your taste preferences.
Ingredients Needed for Taco Soup
Ground Beef – Use ground beef. ground turkey or venison. If I have ground venison in my freezer, this makes the soup even more economical.
Ground Sausage – Feel free to swap the sausage for ground beef, but the sausage adds a lot of flavor to the soup. My family can handle the heat, so I usually use hot sausage in this soup.
Crushed Tomatoes – A large can of crushed tomatoes adds a depth of flavor to the mix. If you don’t have this on hand, swap it out for tomato sauce or some tomato paste.
Tomatoes – I use two cans of diced tomatoes and a can of tomatoes with green chilis (Rotel Tomatoes). The Ro-Tel tomatoes add a little kick and spice things up a bit.
Kidney Beans and Black Beans – These are the beans I usually use in my soup. Change up the beans if so desired. Pinto beans or chili beans would make a great substitution.
Whole Kernel Corn – Corn gives this soup flavor and color. Feel free to use fresh corn or frozen corn.
Taco Seasoning – The seasoning needed for flavor. Use store-bought packets or use your favorite seasonings.
Onion – One diced onion is scrambled with the hamburger and sausage. Any onion–yellow, Vidalia, or sweet- will work in this recipe.
Shredded Cheese – Serve this soup with shredded cheese and toppings of your choice.
How to Make Taco Soup
A comforting and hearty dish that brings together the best of taco flavors in a soul-warming bowl. This a great recipe for a cozy night in or entertaining friends. For complete step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Brown Meat and Onion in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- Serve with shredded cheese, your favorite toppings, and corn chips.
Can I Cook This In My Crock Pot?
This delicious taco soup recipe can be made in the crock pot (slow cooker). This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully with a hands-off method. Just brown your meat, drain, and add to your crock pot. Add other ingredients except for cheese. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
Favorite Taco Toppings for Taco Soup
Toppings are a fantastic way to add texture, freshness, and flavor to this delicious and simple taco soup recipe. Choose a few toppings to take your soup to the next level.
Jalapenos
Green Chiles
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Dollop of Sour Cream
Diced Avocados
Lime Wedges (juice)
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro
Hot Sauce
The toppings for this soup are completely up to you.
What Do I Do With Leftovers
The best part about making a big pot of soup– leftovers! Leftover taco soup is excellent the next day. This soup will do well in the refrigerator for several days. I like to store my leftover soup in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. This is also a great way to transport to work the next day for lunch.
This soup also freezes perfectly. Just place it in a gallon zip-top bag, an airtight container, or a freezer-safe container. Pop it into the freezer and enjoy it later. This soup will keep for several months. To reheat: thaw in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave or stovetop.
This recipe comes together fast, and it’s AMAZING!! Some suggestions for leftovers might be to add them to bell peppers for taco stuffed peppers, a baked potato, or make nachos. Delish!
Recipe Tips and Variations
Recipe Tips:
You can tailor the soup to your taste preferences by experimenting with the ingredients. This makes a big batch of soup for the whole family to enjoy. This may become your next family favorite.
- Prep Ahead: Cook the meat and onions a day ahead and store them in the refrigerator. This makes prepping this soup a breeze.
- Experiment with Beans: Experiment with different beans according to your preferences. Pinto beans, white beans, or navy beans would be good alternatives.
- Serve over Rice: To change this up a bit, serve over rice. If serving to a crowd, this will stretch the soup.
Recipe Variations:
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup: Brown the meat and onions, then add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Slow cooker soup is perfect for busy days.
- Vegetarian Soup: Omit the meat and add an extra can of beans and vegetables for a vegetarian option.
- Freezer-Friendly Soup: Prepare a larger batch and place it in freezer-safe containers or freeze it in individual portions for convenience and busy days.
This recipe comes together fast, and it’s AMAZING!!
What To Serve With Quick and Easy Taco Soup
Feel free to mix and match your side dishes to this delicious taco soup. Go simple or take it up a notch, depending on your desires.
Cornbread – Cornbread is always my go-to for this soup. Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread is nicely paired with this soup.
Tortilla Chips – For added crunch, crumble up a few chips for the top of your soup.
Rice or Baked Potato – Serve taco soup over rice or baked potato. This is also great for leftovers.
Side Salad – A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette will contrast with the spicy soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, these soups are different in the ingredients and seasonings. They are both hearty and satisfying but with different flavor profiles. If you are looking for a chili recipe, check out this link for a warming bowl of chili.
Adjust the ingredients. If you are serving this to children and want to make this dish a little less spicy, leave out the Rotel tomatoes and use a mild taco seasoning.
The beauty of this easy taco soup recipe is its versatility. You can substitute the beef with other meats to suit your taste preferences. A few substitutions might be ground turkey, venison, or chicken. Keep in mind the choice of meats can influence the overall taste of the soup. Adjust the seasonings as needed, and you will have a large pot of delicious soup.
More Easy Soup Recipes
For more soup recipes, check out Homemade Soups here.
Quick and Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 pound Ground Sausage hot or mild, your choice
- 1 (28 oz.) can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz.) can Kidney Beans
- 1 (15 oz.) can Black Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 (15 oz.) cans Diced Tomatoes or 1 quart of homemade canned tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz.) can Whole Kernel Corn drained
- 1 (10 oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes
- 1 package Taco Seasoning
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 cup water
- Shredded cheese optional
- Toppings of Choice optional
Instructions
- Brown meat and onion together in a deep soup pot, drain.
- Add other ingredients (except cheese). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Let simmer 30-45 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese and corn chip or your favorite toppings. Double recipe for a crowd.
- If you are using your crock pot, just brown your meat in a skillet then dump everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
Notes
For homemade taco seasoning, check here.
