Taco soup is a classic full of ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes. This recipe is great to serve to a crowd, and having customized toppings makes it a lot more fun to cater to different tastes.
If you enjoy cooking up delicious soups with the same taco flavors, we think you will love this Panera copycat black bean soup and this chicken tortilla soup.
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Ingredients
The ingredients for this taco soup with black beans are pantry staples that are easy to find at most large grocery stores. In the U.S., look for Mexican oregano in the Mexican aisle.
- Protein: We used ground beef, black beans and chili beans.
- Aromatics: We used yellow onion and freshly minced garlic.
- Vegetables: We used yellow corn, crushed and diced tomatoes.
- Liquid: We used filtered water to keep the sodium down. You can also use broth (beef, chicken or vegetable).
- Seasonings and spices: We used salsa, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt.
How to Make
- Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink, then drain it to catch the fat.
- Add two tablespoons of the reserved fat from the ground beef back into the Dutch oven. Sauté the onion over medium-high heat until it is soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the chili powder and the other spices (paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt) to the sautéed onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for one minute, stirring constantly, to let the spices bloom.
4. Add the cooked ground beef back into the Dutch oven and stir well. Add the salsa, brown sugar, tomatoes, and beans.
5. Add the liquid; we used water. Stir until well combined.
6. Cover and bring the taco soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
Taste and adjust the amount of seasonings, if necessary. This taco soup with black beans should be thick and flavorful. Cover and let it simmer another 15 minutes.
7. Serve it up hot in individual bowls garnished with tortilla chips, grated cheese, sliced jalapeños, green onion, or sour cream.
Recipe FAQs
Taco soup with black beans and your favorite toppings can stand on its own, but if you are having a dinner party or your family loves all the side dishes, here are some suggestions: cornbread, tortilla chips, rice with cilantro and lime, Mexican street corn, and frozen virgin margarita.
Yes, this taco soup with black beans recipe is freezer friendly, so make up a big batch and stash it away in the freezer for your busiest days. Just follow these tips. Cool to room temperature. Put it into a freezer-friendly airtight container. Freeze in family-size portions for 4 people or in individual servings. Label the container with the date. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months.
Did you accidentally add too much water or broth to make your taco soup go further? If you need to thicken the soup, here are some tips: add a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Bulk it up by adding more meat or kidney or black beans. Let it simmer with the lid off to evaporate some of the liquid.
While in most cases black beans are considered a healthy source of protein, packing 7.6 g per ½ cup serving, they also contain 20 net carbs in a serving making them off-limits for keto diets.
Serve
Taco soup with black beans can be eaten without any toppings, but the flavor is enhanced with unique topping combinations. You'll enjoy any of the ones below.
- Sliced fresh jalapeños
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Cilantro leaves
- Tortilla chips, whole or crumbled
- Diced or sliced avocado
- Chopped green or red onion
Store
- Make Ahead: Make the whole recipe up to a few days ahead of time if needed. You can also brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic ahead of time. Then when you're ready to cook the soup, put it with the rest of the ingredients into the crockpot or finish cooking it on the stovetop in a large soup pot.
- Leftovers: Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Reheat: Reheat larger batches of taco soup on the stovetop for 25 minutes on medium-low or in individual bowls in the microwave.
- Freeze: Store a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Need to change up the beans? Try kidney beans, cannellini, or pinto.
- Rinse the chili or black beans before you add them to the pot to reduce the sodium content.
- Drain the excess fat from the ground beef.
- Don't want to use water? Try using chicken, beef, or vegetable broth to make taco soup.
- Customize the toppings on taco soup. Garnishes like sour cream, grated cheese, sliced avocado and green onion are tasty additions.
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Recipe
Taco Soup with Black Beans
Ingredients
Meat and Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
Spices
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
Remaining Ingredients
- 24 ounce salsa
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 30 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 30 ounces chili beans, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 15 ounces whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 3 cups filtered water, 709 ml
Optional Garnishes
- extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- green onion, sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a bit of oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Dump the ground beef into a colander set over a medium-sized bowl and let the fat drain.
- Put a couple tablespoons of the beef grease back into the pot. Heat the grease over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the spices to the cooked onion mixture and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, stirring constantly. Mix in the cooked ground beef.
- Pour in the salsa, canned tomatoes with their juices, and add the brown sugar. Stir until well combined.
- Drain and rinse the chili beans, black beans, and corn to help lower the sodium content. Stir them into the soup along with three cups of filtered water.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add more water or adjust the seasonings if necessary, then cook for another 15 minutes.
- Serve warm with a selection of Tex-Mex toppings.
Notes
- Need to change up the beans? Try kidney beans, cannellini, or pinto.
- Rinse the chili or black beans before you add them to the pot to reduce the sodium content.
- Drain the excess fat from the ground beef.
- Don't want to use water? Try using chicken, beef, or vegetable broth to make taco soup.
- Customize the toppings on taco soup. Garnishes like sour cream, grated cheese, sliced avocado and green onion are tasty additions.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 31, 2017 and was updated with new photos and updated information on May 3, 2019. On March 10, 2022, it was republished with photo collages and reformatted content.
Mom
Brooke,
What a comfort it would be to taste your delicious taco soup! I can eat most of the ingredients, except the corn.
Brooke
Thank you, Mom! You could substitute the corn with chopped green pepper. 🙂