Taco Soup with Ground Beef
An easy Ground Beef Taco Soup made in under 40 minutes with taco seasoning, corn, black beans, and tomatoes, served with tortilla chips as edible spoons, avocado, queso fresco, and scallions for a fun dinner.
This ground beef taco soup takes less than 40 minutes to prepare and is made with homemade taco seasoning, which is strong in flavour but mild in heat. It is loaded with sweet corn, black beans, and tomatoes. The finest aspect? Kids love how tortilla chips can be used as crunchy edible spoons to make dinner fun! Arrange a bar of toppings that includes sour cream, fresh scallions, queso fresco, creamy avocado, and hot sauce for the mature palates. It’s delicious for everyone, mild for young children, spicy for adults, and will warm you up in no time!
The Difference Between Chile con Carne and Taco Soup
While taco soup and chilli con carne share similar hearty ingredients like ground beef, beans, and tomatoes, their flavours and textures set them apart. Taco soup has a lighter, brothier base and incorporates classic taco flavours, like corn, taco seasoning, and toppings such as avocado and queso fresco, making it fun and customizable. Chilli con carne, on the other hand, is thicker, richer, and spicier, often simmered longer for deep, bold flavours without the bright, fresh toppings that define taco soup.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Compared to most store-bought taco seasonings, this homemade version is mild on heat, slightly smokier, and redder, making it ideal for families. Oregano, cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, and garlic powder are all included in the blend (for a deeper flavour, I like garlic powder better than onion powder). Although the chipotle powder adds a subtle smoky warmth, you can use blended canned chipotle in adobo or cayenne pepper if you want more heat, but be aware that doing so will make it much hotter. You can use your favourite store-bought taco seasoning for a simpler version!
Ground Beef Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 400 g ground beef
- 800 g crushed or diced tomato can
- 700 g black beans
- 400 g corn kernels
- 500 ml beef or chicken broth
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil or any vegetal oil
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp sweet or smoky paprika
- 2 tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tbsp chipotle powder , cayenne or spicy paprika
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Toppings
- tortilla chips
- avocado
- grated cheese queso fresco, cheddar, Cotija
- scallions
- cilantro or parlsey
- sour cream
- hot sauce
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add homemade taco seasoning (a mild blend of cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and a pinch of salt) and stir to coat the meat evenly.
- Pour in diced tomatoes (with their juice), tomato paste, beef or chicken broth, and add black beans and corn (fresh, frozen, or canned).
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld together.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and set up a topping bar with diced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, sliced scallions, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
- diced avocado with lime
- scallions
- queso freso, Cotija or cheddar cheese
- cilantro
- hot sauce
- sour cream
Nutrition
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