This easy taco soup recipe is packed with so much flavor. With a few simple ingredients and taco seasoning you can whip up this recipe.
Easy taco soup recipe
It’s time to switch up taco Tuesdays with this easy beef taco soup. Taco Tuesdays are always a fun dinner night in my household. Whether it’s tacos, burritos, taco salad, or enchiladas we are always having some sort of tacos or Mexican food. To switch things up (and especially with the colder weather) taco soup has been on repeat. I hope you can add this taco soup into your taco Tuesday lineup! Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this recipe.
- This soup requires just a few easy steps.
- This taco soup recipe can be made in one pot!
- It uses a mixture of fresh vegetables and canned vegetables.
- This soup is loaded with 23 grams of protein per serving.
- Taco soup stores really well in the fridge so it’s great to make at the beginning of the week.
- You can add more taco seasonings if you want to enhance the flavors.
Ingredients in this easy taco soup
Ground beef is the main protein source. I recommend using 90/10 lean beef but feel free to use whatever beef you prefer. Make sure to drain any excess fat after browning the beef.
Diced onion to cook with the beef! One small onion or 1/2 of a medium will work.
Next up, diced bell pepper. Feel free to use a green, red, yellow, or orange pepper. I prefer using red or orange but any color will do.
One packet taco seasoning to give this soup all the taco flavor. You can also use a homemade taco seasoning if you prefer.
Timed for the canned items! Canned diced green chilis, canned black beans, canned corn and canned Rotel (diced tomatoes and chili) make up the bulk of this soup. Another reason why this recipe is so easy and quick to throw together!
Chicken broth to make the base of this soup. I prefer using chicken broth or chicken bone broth. Both options give this soup a nice flavor!
Just a few dried pasta shells for good measure. Since this soup is loaded with beef and taco veggies we are going to add in 4oz of dried pasta shells (which is about 1 and 1/4 cup).
Lastly, shredded cheddar cheese for topping. What are tacos without cheese?! Freshly shred some cheddar cheese and add it to the top of your serving.
How to make
Follow the five steps below to make this taco soup recipe.
STEP 1
Grab a large soup pot. Put it over medium heat on the stove and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
STEP 2
Now add in the onions, bell pepper, and diced green chilis. Mix to combine and cook until the beef is almost cooked through. About 3-4 more minutes.
STEP 3
Add in the taco seasoning. Mix to combine and cook another 2-3 minutes. Now add in canned veggies: beans, corn, and rotel. Mix to combine.
STEP 4
Add in the chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup is boiling add in the pasta shells and boil for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
STEP 5
Add the soup to serving bowls and top with cheese. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Does this soup freeze well?
Yes! If you like to meal prep or make meals to have on hand, you can definitely freeze this soup. Make sure to use a freezer friendly container or you can use these soup cubes! They work great when you want to freeze soup and they can be found on Amazon.
Can I add more pasta noodles?
Yes definitely! If you want to add more pasta noodles to this taco soup you definitely can. Adding more noodles will make this soup thicker like chili so, you can add another cup of chicken broth.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! Make this soup on Sunday and enjoy it all week long.
Can I use homemade taco seasoning?
Yes! This recipe calls for one 1oz packet of taco seasoning so you can substitute in 1 ounce of homemade seasoning. You may want to add a little more salt if you use you own seasoning.
Variations and substitutes
Ground beef or ground turkey. While this recipe calls for ground beef, you can definitely get creative with alternate protein choices. Ground turkey is another great option! You could also use ground chicken or ground pork. Just make sure to drain any excess fat after browning the meat.
Black beans or pinto beans. Black beans pair really nicely with tacos but you can definitely swap them for any beans of your choice. Pinto beans are a great substitute. You could also give kidney beans a try.
Cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese. We are going to the top soup with shredded cheese to finish things off. Cheddar cheese is always a go-to, but feel free to use pepper jack cheese, colby jack cheese, or even mozzarella!
Canned corn or fresh corn. This recipe calls for one can of corn. However, if you have fresh corn on hand add in about 1 cup! Also, another great corn option is fire roasted corn. Fire roasted corn can be found right by the regular canned corn at the store. Just follow the same steps as you would with regular corn: open, drain, and add it to the soup!
Other soup recipes you’ll love
Here are four other soup recipes you’re going to love!
The Easiest Roasted Tomato Soup
Did you make this taco soup?
If you give this taco soup a try, then please don’t forget to rate this recipe or leave a comment down below! Your feedback and support is super helpful to me and to other readers thinking about making this recipe. For some more recipe inspiration, you can also find and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. Enjoy!
Easy Taco Soup Recipe with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10 lean
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 7oz can diced green chili
- 1 1oz packet taco seasoning
- 1 15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15oz can corn drain and rinsed
- 1 10oz can rotel diced tomatoes and chilis
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz dried pasta shells about 1 ¼ cup dried pasta
- shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
- Grab a large soup pot. Put it over medium heat on the stove and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Now add in the onions, bell pepper, and diced green chilis. Mix to combine and cook until the beef is almost cooked through. About 3-4 more minutes.
- Add in the taco seasoning. Mix to combine and cook another 2-3 minutes. Now add in canned veggies: beans, corn, and rotel. Mix to combine.
- Add in the chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup is boiling add in the pasta shells and boil for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Add the soup to serving bowls and top with cheese. Enjoy!
This soup is SO easy to make and delicious!! Loved it! Night one we added the shredded cheese and it truly felt like having taco night but make it Fall. We reheated the soup a couple nights later and added a small amount of chive & onion cream cheese which made the soup extra creamy and delicious, highly recommend! Will definitely be making again.
Hi Arielle, thanks SO much!! So glad you guys loved this taco soup. It’s one of our favorites too 🙂