When you want a hearty dinner that feeds a crowd without a lot of fuss, this Simple Taco Soup delivers all the familiar flavors of taco night in one comforting bowl. Made with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn, tomatoes, and green chiles, it brings together pantry staples in a filling soup that is easy to prepare ahead and keep warm until everyone is ready to eat.
This recipe, credited to Paula Deen, uses two pounds of ground beef, diced onions, pinto beans, pink kidney beans, corn, and several varieties of tomatoes, including Mexican-style stewed tomatoes and tomatoes with green chiles. Taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix add a convenient blend of spices and savory flavor, while optional black and green olives provide an extra briny note. The combination makes a thick, satisfying soup with plenty of texture in every spoonful.
Start by browning the ground beef and onions in a large skillet, then drain off the excess fat. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker or stockpot and stir in the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, olives if using, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix. For a hands-off meal, cook on low in the slow cooker for six to eight hours. If you’re making it on the stovetop, let it simmer gently for about an hour so the flavors have time to come together.
A large slow cooker is especially handy when you’re preparing Taco Soup for family gatherings, game day, or a busy evening. You can get it started early and let it cook while you take care of the rest of the day.
Serving is part of the fun. Place corn chips in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over them, then let everyone customize their portion with sour cream, grated cheese, chopped green onions, and pickled jalapeños. Serve with a simple green salad or warm cornbread for an easy, satisfying meal.
With familiar ingredients, flexible cooking methods, and toppings everyone can choose for themselves, this Taco Soup is a practical recipe to keep in your dinner rotation whenever you need a comforting meal that feeds a group.
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Taco Soup
- Total Time: 6:15
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
- 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
- 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
- 2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- 1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
- 1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
- 1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
- 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
- Corn chips, for serving
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Grated cheese, for garnish
- Chopped green onions, for garnish
- Pickled jalapenos, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.
- Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.
- To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: 6:00
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker or Stove Top