This Taco Soup is one of my family’s FAVORITE meals! I love this recipe because it’s super easy–make it on the stovetop or toss everything into your crockpot and let it simmer all day. Plus, it uses up a whole bunch of refrigerator and pantry staples: canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, taco seasoning (you can even make your own in bulk!), and kidney beans. Oh, and a fresh onion and some fresh garlic. It’s cheap, packed with protein, and feeds a smally army. In fact, my oldest son, who has always been a die-hard chili fan (this Easy Weeknight Chili and Sara’s Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili are two of his favorite meals) declared this his favorite. So. That’s saying a lot.
My favorite topping is a big spoonful or two of Pico de Gallo. It adds a lot of fresh flavor with almost no extra calories. I also love adding some sour cream, shredded cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips (or, if you’re feeling fancy, you could fry your own tortilla strips.
Ingredients Needed
- Lean ground beef
- Diced onion
- Fresh garlic
- Taco seasoning packet – Or make your own Taco Seasoning and use about 1/4 cup.
- Diced canned tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Canned kidney beans
- Canned or frozen corn
- Desired toppings
- Pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Tortilla strips
- Guacamole
How to Make Taco Soup
Stovetop
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 cups water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Transfer to slow cooker, add remaining ingredients and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you’ll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it’s been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground turkey would work well, just avoid the extra lean variety, as it tends to be dry and lacks flavor. You could also use rotisserie chicken.
If you follow the slow cooker instructions you can toss everything together in the morning and come home to dinner already made! Leftovers also taste great from the fridge or freezer, so feel free to make it one day and enjoy it later.
Taco Soup
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker optional, you can also cook this just fine on the stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean or extra-lean ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1.25- ounce packet taco seasoning or make your own and use about 1/4 cup
- 3 cups water divided
- 2 28- ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 15- ounce cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
Toppings
- Pico de Gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole
Instructions
Stovetop
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 cups water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Place remaining ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
- See notes for Freezer Instructions.
Notes
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.Â
- Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you’ll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it’s been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.
- Nutritional information was calculated without the use of any toppings.
Questions & Reviews
I stopped looking for a decent enchilada soup recipe a few months ago because everything I found online was just blah. But I came across this taco soup recipe and its the next best thing. I might tweek this up with chicken and maybe some ancho chile but for now this will do for dinner tonight!
BTW, I found this site yesterday and haven’t gotten off it since. I am absolutely in love with this site. You guys do a great job at connecting with moms who are looking for semi-homemade lifestyles. SIDENOTE: I am amazed at how much in common I have with you guys. Its like you know me!
I have made this recipe but in it my recipe calls for a package of Hidden Valley Ranch mix. It makes it taste even better also don’t drain the bean, or corn. I got it at a weight watchers meeting years ago when my son was 9 so lets see 20 years ago. WOW!!
I LOVE this recipe. I recently tried it and I am totally going to make it again. I really love how much it made, too. I had enough for dinner for my family of four, leftovers for my lunch twice and enough to give as a freezer meal to a lady I visit teach. I had it yesterday for lunch at work and I literally scarfed it down it was so good. Plus, it’s diet friendly. Yay! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sorry… not pinto beans… I ment to put kidney beans 🙂
Making this today in the slow cooker 😉 Do you still have the three cups of water when cooking in a slow cooker?
Yep, you really can make it exactly the same and just pop it in the slow cooker.
Years ago I did WW and they had a mis print in their book that one peanut butter cup was 15 points. I was going along well, loosing weight, and then one night I had a dream that I ate a 15 pt PB cup. I awoke crying.
We love taco soup too for all the same reasons. But instead of the extra water we add a can of V8 juice (spicy works great too). A little more flavor and a little creamier.
Made this today in the slow cooker. We don't eat much ground beef in our house so I threw in a pound of frozen chicken breasts with the soup and let them cook all day. Then chopped them up before serving. This made plenty of leftovers to freeze. I think next time I might use less tomato.
Thank you so much for this recipe, it made a cold turn much warmer. I changed a little the recipe wit products that I have and posted it on my blog with a link to yours.
I made this on Wednesday during a little snow day we were having in NJ, and i have eaten it everyday since, and I am a little sad that there is only 2 cups of it left. It is SO delicious and filling and fits perfectly into my new WW recipes. Cant wait to see what other WW friendly recipes are to come.