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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a rich Tex-Mex broth, made by browning ground beef, simmering canned beans and tomatoes, and finishing with melty cheddar and cool sour cream. Bold cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika create a deeply flavored soup that’s ready fast for weeknights.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meat base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 cup beef broth
Canned soup mix
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Toppings
  • 1 cheddar shredded
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 tortilla chips
  • 1 jalapeños
  • 1 cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown and build flavor
  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until cooked through, then drain the fat (about 5 minutes). You should see browned crumbles and a thin layer of rendered grease that you remove.
  2. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper to the pot and sauté for 4 minutes. Stir until the onion softens and the peppers turn slightly glossy.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. The garlic should become fragrant without browning.
  4. Stir in the taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. The spices should darken slightly and smell toasted.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth, then bring the mixture to a boil. Look for rolling bubbles across the surface.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the broth is deeply flavored, then season with salt and pepper. The soup should thicken slightly and taste well-rounded.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro. The cheddar should melt slightly on the surface while the toppings stay fresh.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, keep the simmer steady (gentle bubbling) during the 20 minutes so the broth concentrates without boiling hard. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight before reheating. For a lighter option, use 93/7 lean ground beef and reduce the cheese topping to taste.