When your taste buds yearn for the comfort of tacos but crave something heartier and cozier, look no further than taco soup. This recipe offers a warm and filling experience, packed with incredible flavors and ready in a flash (we’re talking just 30 minutes!). With ground beef, pinto beans, and an array of Mexican-inspired favorites, this dish comes together effortlessly. Minimal chopping is required, and you can easily find all the ingredients at your local grocery store, ensuring you can satisfy your craving repeatedly. And just like your beloved tacos, these bowls of comfort can be adorned with your preferred toppings—let your creativity flourish! Read on for the complete details to master this uncomplicated recipe:

Distinguishing Taco Soup, Tortilla Soup, and Chili: Imagine these three as points on a spectrum, with hearty chili on one end and swift-cooking, lighter tortilla soup on the other. Taco soup resides in the middle, offering substantial substance while being far speedier than traditional chili.

Decoding Taco Seasoning: Not all taco seasonings are cut from the same cloth, so feel free to explore different brands until you find your favorites. Alternatively, you can craft your own using our taco seasoning recipe. The added bonus? No more partially used packets cluttering your spice drawer.

Achieving the Perfect Consistency: To ensure your taco soup leans more towards taco and less towards broth, keep two key considerations in mind. First, observe the suggested cooking times when sautéing the onion at the beginning and when simmering the soup towards the end. Undercooking the onion might impart a raw taste that’s best avoided. Allowing the soup to simmer and gently reduce will meld the flavors and create a harmonious whole. Secondly, begin with a cautious amount of broth. You can always add more, but rectifying an overly watery soup is trickier. Starting with 2 cups should work, but use even less if a thicker texture is your aim.

Accompaniments for Taco Soup: Just like traditional tacos, the options for enhancing this soup are boundless. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips or shredded cheese on top for added texture, or infuse vibrancy with chopped cilantro. Looking to elevate the experience? Elevate your entire bowl with a topping of Tajín and sour cream. If unfamiliar, Tajín is a zesty, salty, and mildly spicy Mexican seasoning that enhances a variety of dishes (try it on watermelon!). This addition takes the soup to another level and will keep you coming back for more.

Tried this recipe? We’re eager to hear about your experience—share your culinary journey in the comments below.

YIELDS: 4 – 6 servings PREP TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 30 mins CAL/SERV: 852

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
• 1 pound of ground beef
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups of low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can of sweet corn
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 3 tablespoons of Tajín
• 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Shredded cheddar and tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s softened, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the taco seasoning, and cook, stirring, until the aroma blooms, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until it’s no longer pink, around 5 minutes. Season with salt.
2. Pour in the beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, drained pinto beans, and sweet corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. While the soup simmers, mix the sour cream and Tajín in a small bowl until well combined.
4. Divide the taco soup among bowls. Top each serving with chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream-Tajín mixture, and shredded cheddar. Serve the soup with tortilla chips on the side.