Taco Soup Recipe (Healthy & Hearty) - Lauren's Latest (2024)

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This Taco Soup Recipe is healthy, hearty, easy, and delicious, it will make you want to give up tacos completely and commit to just soup! It really is that good. If you’ve tried my Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup you’ll notice some similarities in ingredients and cooking methods. My favorite part about both recipes is all the toppings you can load on top.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Taco Soup is one of those recipes where you can adjust and change based on what you have on hand. Don’t have the right kind of beans? No problem. Don’t have ground beef? No big deal. We’ve got lots of options for ya. As long as the seasonings are the same, everything you throw into the soup will taste all the same. (Like how Chili tastes the same no matter what you throw in.)

Ground Beef

If you want to make this meal vegetarian, simply replace ground beef with another can of beans or lentils. You can also replace beef with ground turkey or shredded chicken, if desired.

Zucchini, Squash & Carrots

All these veggies are chopped and included in this taco soup recipe for a healthier meal. They end up tasting like everything else in the soup, so most of the time can go undetected, but if you have picky eaters, feel free to substitute with veggies that your family would like, or omit completely.

Canned Beans

For this Taco Soup Recipe, I used black, garbanzo, and white beans. Any three cans of beans will work! Use what you have. As long as you rinse them well before adding, you should be good to go.

Tomato Sauce

A can of tomato sauce adds that red color plus a light tomato flavor without having chunks of tomatoes in the soup. You can alternately add in a can of petite diced tomatoes. If you do end up using a can of diced tomatoes, the soup won’t end up getting as thick.

Taco Seasoning

Use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning. Yes there’s a lot in this recipe (1/4 cup!) but this recipe makes a big pot so don’t be alarmed. Once packet you buy at the store is about 1/4 cup. If you’re worried about the sodium levels, feel free to start with half this amount.

How to Make Taco Soup

Throwing this taco soup together is a pretty easy chop-and-dump type of recipe! I love this for a quick weeknight dinner! Here are the step-by-step directions. The full printable recipe card is down below.

Cook Ground Beef and Veggies

Preheat large pot over med-high heat. Add onion and ground beef. As the beef browns, break it apart. Stir in chopped onion, zucchini, squash, and carrot and cook until veggies soften slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add Remaining Soup Ingredients

Pour in remaining ingredients, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Add Toppings and Serve

While the soup is cooking prepare your desired toppings. Scoop into a bowl and top with whatever

Can I Make Taco Soup in the Crockpot?

Yes, you can absolutely make this taco soup recipe in the crockpot! Here’s how to do it: Start by browning the onions and beef on the stove top, then add the mixture to the slow cooker. Add in the remaining veggies, beans and seasonings. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

Divide between serving bowls and top with any desired toppings.

Topping Ideas

Taco Soup is great for many reasons. One is all the toppings you can load on top! My favorite toppings are:

• lime juice
• Doritos
• salsa
• sour cream
• green onion
• lettuce
• cheese
• tortilla chips
• cilantro
• guacamole
• diced tomatoes
• fresh avocado

What to Serve with Taco Soup

If you’re looking for some side dishes to this taco soup recipe I’ve got a couple of suggestions!

• *BEST* Cornbread
• Mexican Street Corn
• Homemade Bread Bowl
• Cilantro Lime Rice

Leftovers

This Taco Soup makes quite a lot and I 100% crafted it this way because I love having leftovers, especially when it reheats so well and is filled with nutrition like this dinner is. Normally I run out of time/am too busy to eat an actual lunch most days, so I’ve been doubling my dinners so I have something on hand I can microwave quickly for lunch.

Refrigerating.Simply keep your cooled-down soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezing.I recommend dividing any soup you want to freeze so that you can more easily thaw a reasonable amount when the time comes. Thaw in the fridge overnight then warm up on the stovetop or in the crockpot. This method is good for up to 3 months.

More Taco Recipes to Try!

• Taco Casserole
• Dorito Taco Salad
• Taco Sloppy Joes
• Taco Lettuce Wraps
• Taco Pizza Recipe {with Doritos!}
• Skirt Steak Tacos

Anyways, below is the printable recipe card!

Enjoy, friends! Have a great day! xo