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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a deeply seasoned Tex-Mex broth, simmered until rich and flavorful with beans, corn, and tomatoes. Finished with classic toppings like shredded cheddar and sour cream for a hearty, scoopable bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 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
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Toppings
  • 1 cheddar shredded
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 tortilla chips
  • 1 jalapeños sliced
  • 1 cilantro chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up until no longer pink; drain excess fat for a cleaner broth.
  2. Sauté the onion and green bell pepper in the same pot for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened; add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Build the Tex-Mex flavor
  1. Add taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and stir for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
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.
  2. Simmer for 20 minutes until the broth is deeply flavored; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve loaded with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

For the best depth, let the soup rest 5 minutes after simmering so the broth thickens slightly. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days in a covered container; freeze up to 3 months (hold toppings and add after reheating). For a lighter option, use 90/10 ground beef or swap in extra-lean ground beef without changing the rest of the recipe.