Healthy Taco Soup {Easy to Make}

All of the delicious flavor of tacos, but way easier! This healthy taco soup recipe is absolutely incredible and so easy. It’s a hearty blend of lean ground turkey, black beans, corn, crushed tomatoes and seasonings; all simmered to perfection. An easy dinner option that’s kid friendly and quick to make! It will be one of those go-to hearty soup recipes you make again and again!

When the weather starts to cool off, this healthy taco soup recipe becomes a weekly staple. You just can’t go wrong with a piping hot bowl of soup to warm you from the inside out. We absolutely love soup during the fall and winter and the top requested soup recipes from my family are creamy chicken tortilla soup, crockpot white chicken chili and this flavorful taco soup.

Taco soup is so quick and easy to make with whatever ground meat you prefer (I typically use lean ground turkey) and you could even go meatless. Lean ground beef, ground chicken or bison are great options too. My husband loves bison! In addition to the meat, we’ve got all of the normal taco soup contenders – onion, corn, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles and beans.

This taco soup recipe cooks up thick, hearty, and is a total crowd pleaser. Even my picky kiddos go crazy for a bowl of taco soup! Don’t skip the toppings. They seal the deal!

What’s in taco soup?

One of the best things about taco soup is that it’s completely versatile. I’ve listed my favorite ingredients below, but feel free to substitute or completely leave out any ingredient to suite your family’s taste preference. Here’s the lineup:

• Onion + garlic. Major flavor boosters!
• Ground meat. Any preferred ground meat will work great. However, be aware that if you’re using ground beef with a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off any excess grease after it’s cooked.
• Black beans. The addition of beans in taco soup makes it super satisfying and hearty. You can sub with kidney or pinto beans, if you’d like.
• Corn. Mexican-style or fiesta corn is great in taco soup, but add any corn you’d like – fresh, frozen and thawed or canned.
• Green chiles. This gives the taco soup the perfect amount of kick without being overly spicy. If you want to keep the heat level down, use mild green chiles.
• Crushed tomatoes. Fire-roasted tomatoes are my go-to for this easy taco soup because they’re much more flavorful than regular tomatoes. If you don’t have crushed tomatoes available, use canned diced tomatoes.
• Chicken broth. I recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth because then you can control the sodium in the soup. Feel free to use vegetable or beef broth, instead, if that’s what you have on hand.
• Taco seasoning. Use your favorite packet blend or homemade taco seasoning. For a quick homemade mix, try adding 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin + ground paprika, 1/2 teaspoon each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
• Toppings. Any topping that you would enjoy on a taco, totally works! See the section “Favorite Taco Soup Toppings” (below) for inspiration.

Quick tip: To keep this soup mild, be sure to use mild green chiles and mild taco seasoning. On the other hand, if you like a little kick in your taco soup, use a can of hot green chiles and hot & spicy taco seasoning.

How to Make Taco Soup

You may have tried other taco soup recipes, but this one’s definitely my favorite! It’s so flavorful and super easy! Here’s the simple process, but for the full, printable recipe, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Sauté. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Then, sauté the chopped onion and garlic until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Brown meat. Add in the ground turkey (or other meat). Cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.
3. Simmer. When the turkey is fully cooked, add all other ingredients. Simmer for 10 to 30 minutes. The longer the soup simmers, the more flavorful it will become.
4. Serve. Once cooked to your liking, ladle soup into bowls and top with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!

Crockpot taco soup

This taco soup recipe can easily be made in your slow cooker! You can honestly throw everything into the slow cooker (uncooked) and cook on high for 2 hours or low for about 4-5 hours. However, if you’d rather, you can cook the onion, garlic and meat before adding everything to a Crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

favorite taco soup toppings:

As much as I love this healthy taco soup recipe as-is, it’s even better with lots of toppings. I listed my favorite toppings, below. If you like crunch, add some corn chips or tortilla strips! Some tasty topping ideas:

• Sour cream. We love to add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to our taco soup. It makes it so creamy!
• Shredded cheese. I typically sprinkle some shredded Mexican cheese on top of my soup. The cheese gets all melty and delicious.
• Avocado or guacamole. Feel free to add some avocado slices or even a spoonful of guacamole.
• Tortilla chips or strips. One of my favorite toppings to add is crushed tortilla chips or strips. Adds the perfect crunch!
• Fresh cilantro. I’m a huge fan of cilantro and add extra to almost all Mexican recipes that I make. So flavorful and yummy!
• Green or red onions. For a little added freshness, add about a tablespoon of green or red onions.
• Lime juice. A squeeze of fresh lime is the perfect finish to this taco soup recipe!

customize This Taco Soup Recipe:

This soup is delicious as-is, but you can mix up the flavorings and customize the recipe to your taste.

• Protein. Use any type of ground meat or you can even use cooked shredded chicken.
• Spicy. To give this taco soup an extra kick of heat, add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Additionally, you can use hot green chiles and hot & spicy taco seasoning.
• Low carb. To keep this soup low carb or for a keto taco soup, double the amount of ground meat and omit the beans and corn. You can even stir in about 1 1/2 cups cauliflower rice during the last 5 minutes of the cooking process.
• Creamy. After the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the stove and stir in 1 cup sour cream or 8 ounces cream cheese or 1 cup heavy cream.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH taco SOUP:

We love this soup paired with corn or tortilla chips or Mexican Cornbread. It’s seriously the BEST cornbread you’ll ever taste and a must try whether you serve it with this soup or a different recipe.

To keep things on the lighter side, try this soup with a fresh, green salad. Simply toss mixed greens with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Feel free to add toppings to your salad such as red onion, cherry tomatoes, and/or croutons. Better yet, serve this taco soup alongside my tasty Southwest Salad with Avocado Dressing for the perfect soup/salad meal. You can easily omit the chicken from the salad, since this soup has plenty of protein.

Don’t forget the skinny margarita! This jalapeño margarita is refreshing and delicious.

IS taco SOUP HEALTHY?

In my opinion, this particular version of taco soup is really nutritious. Healthy is subjective and means something different to everyone, but it’s packed with good-for-you ingredients. We’ve got veggies, fiber-rich beans, and high protein lean ground turkey, so it is a balanced meal. And for one big bowl, the calories and fat are really great!

Another healthy soup that you’re sure to love is our Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe. It’s a reader favorite!

Storing taco soup:

Meal prep is a breeze with this taco soup recipe and it will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days. Taco soup even freezes well. For freezing, once completely cooled place it in freezer safe containers or resealable gallon-sized freezer bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the soup to the fridge and store overnight. When ready to serve, reheat it on medium heat on the stovetop. Or pop it in the microwave and rewarm, covered, in 30-45 second intervals. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Taco Soup is one of my family’s favorite soups ever! Trust me, everyone will LOVE this flavorful soup and it’s SO easy too!

Try These Other Favorite Soup Recipes:

If you love this taco soup recipe, you’re sure to enjoy our other family favs!

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Healthy Seafood Chowder

If you try this Taco Soup recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more delicious recipes straight to your inbox.