Description
A cozy one-pot Taco Soup made with a homemade taco seasoning blend—no packets needed. Lean ground beef or turkey simmers with tomatoes, beans, corn, and smoky spices for a hearty, chili-like soup that tastes like a mash-up of tacos, nachos, and a comforting bean soup. It’s naturally gluten-free, easily dairy-free, weeknight-fast, and perfect for loading up with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
For the Taco Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow or red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
450 g (1 lb) lean ground beef or ground turkey
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can (400 g / 14–15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (400 g / 14–15 oz) tomato sauce or passata
1 can (400 g / 14–15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (400 g / 14–15 oz) pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1–1½ cups frozen or canned corn (drained if canned)
2–3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Homemade Taco Seasoning (No Packet)
1½ tsp chili powder
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano
¼–½ tsp ground coriander (optional)
Pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes, to taste
¾ tsp fine sea salt (adjust later in the pot)
Toppings (optional)
Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Plain yogurt or sour cream
Diced avocado
Crushed tortilla chips or baked tortilla strips
Chopped cilantro
Sliced green onions
Lime wedges
Instructions
Heat the oil and soften aromatics:
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.Brown the meat:
Add ground beef or turkey. Cook 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains. Drain off excess fat if needed.Toast the seasoning:
Sprinkle the homemade taco seasoning over the meat. Stir and cook for about 1 minute so the spices coat the meat and toast lightly.Add tomato paste and tomato base:
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce or passata, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.Add beans, corn, and broth:
Stir in the black beans, pinto or kidney beans, and corn. Pour in 2 cups of broth and stir well. Bring the soup up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.Simmer to develop flavor:
Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 15–20 minutes, until the flavors have melded and the soup is hot and slightly thickened. Add more broth as needed if you prefer a thinner, soupier consistency.Finish with lime and adjust seasoning:
Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, cayenne, or lime to your liking.Serve with toppings:
Ladle the taco soup into bowls. Top with cheese, yogurt or sour cream, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips or strips as desired. Serve with extra lime wedges.
Notes
– Use low-sodium broth so you can control the final salt level.
– For lighter soup, use ground turkey or chicken and extra broth.
– For a creamy twist, stir in a splash of cream, evaporated milk, or coconut milk off the heat, or blend a small ladleful of soup and stir it back in.
– Dairy-free: skip cheese and sour cream; use avocado, cilantro, and extra lime.
– Slow cooker option: brown the meat and onions with garlic and seasoning on the stovetop, then transfer to a slow cooker with remaining ingredients (except lime and toppings). Cook on LOW 4–6 hours. Stir in lime before serving.
– Storage: refrigerate 3–4 days or freeze up to 3 months in airtight containers. It will thicken as it sits—add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
– Nutrition info is estimated for 1 of 6 servings and does not include toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex