This Taco Soup is one of my family’s FAVORITE meals! I love this recipe because it’s super easy–make it on the stovetop or toss everything into your crockpot and let it simmer all day. Plus, it uses up a whole bunch of refrigerator and pantry staples: canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, taco seasoning (you can even make your own in bulk!), and kidney beans. Oh, and a fresh onion and some fresh garlic. It’s cheap, packed with protein, and feeds a smally army. In fact, my oldest son, who has always been a die-hard chili fan (this Easy Weeknight Chili and Sara’s Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili are two of his favorite meals) declared this his favorite. So. That’s saying a lot.
My favorite topping is a big spoonful or two of Pico de Gallo. It adds a lot of fresh flavor with almost no extra calories. I also love adding some sour cream, shredded cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips (or, if you’re feeling fancy, you could fry your own tortilla strips.
Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean or extra-lean ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1.25- ounce packet taco seasoning or make your own and use about 1/4 cup
- 3 cups water divided
- 2 28- ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 15- ounce cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn drained (or 1 cup frozen corn)
- Toppings: Pico de Gallo light sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 cups water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 1 1/2-cup servings.
Notes
Calories: 188
Fat: 3.6
Fiber: 8.6
Protein: 15.8
Questions & Reviews
Funny, I had some ground beef to cook tonight and made my own version of this for dinner – before I read my email. Used black beans and no tomato sauce and served over leftover rice. So easy, fast and yummy.
One of our very favorites. We eat it often. One of the things you can do to it for your kids to make it more filling is to serve it over a potato. It adds to the flavor and is really tasty! My kids love it that way. Thanks for sharing the recipe for one of the best soups ever (super easy to make too!)
WE are having a contest in our family to get in our 5 servings fruits/veggies/day. I made this yesterday and added some (previously) cooked carrots. We have had this soup a lot and I could not even tell difference, but squeezed some more veggies in there!! (kids ate it too!)
I've had this recipe for several years without the beans and love it. I just made it with light red kidney beans. Light red beans are totally the way to go if you don't like kidney beans very much. I also boiled it about twice as long since I don't like canned beans unless they're cooked for at least a half hour. So delicious! Thanks!
I make this all the time. It's one of my favorites. We add a packet of ranch dressing sometimes and it's extra tasty.
This was great — made it tonight for the dh and kids. It was a big hit!
Really good, I would have liked it a little more spicy though. For my kids it was perfect. This makes a ton!
I am all about being a broker than broke college student. My husband is going to love this soup! THANK YOU for a quick easy recipe to throw in a pan when i get home from classes!
This sounds like such an amazing soup!!!!! Perfection!
Amanda, I can't remember for sure; I had to have them to calculate the points, but I accidentally closed the window before I wrote them down. I remember them being in the high teens/low 20s. Hope that helps!
Hi just wondering if you know how many carbs there are in this recipe?
Thanks for the info Kate. Very helpful!
Thank you so much! I was just trying to figure out what was for dinner when the daily email came across my desk. This is what we are having tonight! I am like a previous poster and also have a weird texture thing when it comes to chunks of cooked tomatoes so I will be using crushed tomatoes. Glad you think it will work. These are all ingredients I have on hand. Yipee!
This looks so good! I love tacos and soup so I'm sure it tastes great. I just wish I had seen it before I hit the grocery store. It will definitely be on my list next week though. And thanks for the info on the new WW system. My husband did it about 5 years ago and just said he wants to do it again. I had no idea the point system had changed.
Funny that you would post this today. Every Wednesday in my office, we have 'soup day'. 2 people make soup and everyone else pays $5 for unlimited (while supplies last LOL). Today was my turn to make. I had decided almost a month ago that I was going to make Taco Soup. Wasn't sure how it would go over but made a large crock pot of it any way. Within 30 minutes, the taco soup was gone.. The only thing I did different from your recipe was using a can of black beans in addition to the kidney beans. YUMMMMMM
I love Taco soup! Yours looks amazingly delish!!
Yay! I'm so glad you posted this! I just rejoined WW a week ago and kept thinking I needed to find a good taco soup recipe to make. This looks perfect!
I'm going to try and get everyone's questions! If I missed you, please let me know! 🙂
Banana Pancakes: On the old system, I got around 20-22 points, but with their new system, I get 29. Foods that are high in refined carbs are now higher in points, but nearly all fruits and veggies are free. I've honestly not felt hungry or deprived the whole time!
Denises aka wererich: I'll definitely try and include carbs with the nutritional info, especially since I need it to calculate the points. I just forgot this time! 🙂
Jenn–Yep, you can use light kidney beans. Or black beans–they're also super tasty!
MollyE–They just revamped EVERYTHING. You get more points than you used to, but a lot of the values have changed. Like…my Subway sandwich when I did it before was 4, but now it's 7. However, most fruits and veggies are 0 points (whereas bananas used to be 2). When you calculate points, it's no longer calories, fat, and fiber; instead, you calculate them using fat, fiber, protein, and carbs. Really, it's just guiding you toward eating healthy, high-quality complex carbs, lean proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies.
What is the deal with new weight watchers points? How is it different? I am still using the old books I have had for 3 years.
I make this soup all the time!!. My kids love it. But my recipe calls for black beans instead of the kidney which are 1 point lower per 1/2 cup then the kidney beans. and I use frozen corn (my kids won't eat canned veges)
This is also really good with diced avocado and a squeeze of lime. Yum!!! Thanks for all the posts this is by far my favorite food blog spot and I can't wait to see what the new points would be for your creamy tomato soup!
I also add an envelope of Ranch dressing. Yummy!
one more questions….
dark kidney beans or light red?
I dislike dark kidney beans VERY MUCH >:\
I'm so glad you are doing Weight Watchers and have the points to go along with the recipie! What a help!!!
May I just say…Thank you for calculating all these points for me. I am a 4+ year member of the double W (Weight Watchers). I actually just hit my weight goal right after Thanksgiving. probably the worst timing ever, but still, I'll take it. Read about it here…
http://thevocalsokool.blogspot.com/2010/12/four-years-in-making-goal-is-met.html
Anyway… I like so many struggled through the holidays and feel so discombobulated not knowing the points value of anything. Before the system changed I was an old pro. I just knew everything wiht out having to look it up. Thank you for doing the work for me. Like for reals…I am making all your recipes this week and it has helped me so much to stay on track.
WW is the best. I love that you can live a real life and still eat yummy stuff and still be in control of yourself. Good luck. If I can do it, anyone can.
Just wanted to add to the comments YEAH for WW points. You are awesome.
Thanks for sharing. Please keep the WW points+ coming!
Awesome.. and oddly enough, i've been thinking about making taco soup the last two weeks.
I did the WW thing last year and lost a bunch of weight. I really beleive in their system since it encourages the thigns I've found work on my own when I lost weight pre WW — lean protiens, veggies, smart carbs etc. I'm trying to get back on the bandwagon since I've gained *relationship* weight and want to go back to being a hottie. I love healthy recipes, although I'm struggling since the relationship weight is courtesy of a man who doesn't eat veggies — which are a mainstay when i'm maintaining. I'm trying to learn how to cook for the both of us in one pot and it is difficult. I guess this is preparation for when the kiddies come?
This might be a BIG favor to ask but I'm not doing WW. I am however, watching my Carbs because of diabetes. Any chance you could add in the carbs for the recipes you post? I would LOVE you dearly. This looks so yummy I think I'll make it this week.
Thanks for the recipes. My husband and I just started our new years diet plan and these recipes are the bomb!! I made the Feta Cheese Penne the other night and my family loved it. This taco soup sounds fab too. Thanks for the points system. I've never done WW, how many points can you have in a day? Please keep the recipes coming. My family loves them.
Michelle :O)
I have been wanting to make Taco Soup for a few weeks now. Thanks for the recipe.