Taco Soup Recipe: One Pot, 30 Minutes, Six Servings

I started making this soup on the nights when I had exactly one clean pot and no patience. A pound of ground beef, an onion, four cans and a spoon of taco seasoning. That is the whole shopping list.

The pot goes from cold to done in about half an hour, and most of that time you are not standing over it. You brown the beef, dump in the cans, and let it bubble for ten minutes while you chop an avocado and grate some cheese.

It also stretches. Six bowls come out of one pound of beef because the beans and corn do a lot of the filling. I keep the toppings on the table in separate bowls so everyone builds their own.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the beef and onion

Put the ground beef and chopped onion in a large pot over medium-high heat. Break the meat apart with a spoon and stir until no pink is left, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Drain the fat

Tip the pot and spoon off the extra liquid and fat. Leave a little behind, maybe a tablespoon, because it carries flavor.

3. Add the cans and seasoning

Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir until everything is mixed and the seasoning is dissolved.

4. Simmer for 10 minutes

Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. It is done when it is steaming and the beans are hot all the way through.

5. Serve with the toppings

Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

How to Store Taco Soup

Tips & Tricks

• Drain and rinse the beans and corn. The canning liquid makes the broth cloudy and tastes flat.
• Do not drain the diced tomatoes. That juice is the base of the soup.
• Let the beef brown in a flat layer before you stir it. Stirring constantly steams the meat instead of browning it.
• Taste after the ten-minute simmer, not before. The seasoning needs time to open up in the liquid.
• Keep the avocado, chips and cilantro out of the pot. They go in the bowl only.

Variations

• Swap the black beans for pinto beans. Same amount, same step.
• Use ground turkey instead of beef. Brown it the same way, but add a tablespoon of oil first since turkey is leaner.
• Make it spicy with a chopped jalapeño added with the onion, or a pinch of cayenne with the seasoning.
• Add a cup of frozen corn extra if you want it chunkier and cheaper per bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Taco Soup Recipe: One Pot, 30 Minutes, Six Servings

Ground beef, two kinds of beans, corn and tomatoes simmered with taco seasoning in one pot. Ready in about 30 minutes and feeds six.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal6Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 15 oz canned kidney bean (1 can)
• 15 oz canned black bean (1 can)
• 15 oz canned corn kernels (1 can)
• 15 oz canned diced tomato (1 can)
• 8 oz tomato sauce (1 can)
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 shredded cheddar cheese (to serve)
• 1 sour cream (to serve)
• 1 pico de gallo (to serve)
• 1 avocado (sliced, to serve)
• 1 tortilla chip (to serve)
• 1 lime wedge (to serve)
• 1 chopped cilantro (to serve)

Instructions

1. 1Brown the beef and onion — Put the ground beef and chopped onion in a large pot over medium-high heat. Break the meat apart with a spoon and stir until no pink is left, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. 2Drain the fat — Tip the pot and spoon off the extra liquid and fat. Leave a little behind, maybe a tablespoon, because it carries flavor.
3. 3Add the cans and seasoning — Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Stir until everything is mixed and the seasoning is dissolved.
4. 4Simmer for 10 minutes — Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. It is done when it is steaming and the beans are hot all the way through.
5. 5Serve with the toppings — Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Cook's note: Two tablespoons of taco seasoning is roughly half a standard packet, so start there and taste after the simmer. Serve the toppings on the side so each bowl gets built the way the person eating it wants.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Soup

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Priya Raman
Priya writes about eggs and breakfast casseroles, cookies and bars, and slow cook breakfasts that feed a crowd without fuss. Her angle is flexible, budget-minded cooking: one base recipe that scales for two or for a holiday table, with clear notes on freezing and reheating. She keeps the writing light and story-first, then lands on a tight recipe card.