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Paula Deen Taco Soup

Paula Deen taco soup is a hearty Tex-Mex soup made with browned ground beef, a pot of beans and corn, and a quick simmer for bold flavor. It finishes with a generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and tortilla chips for a loaded, comforting bowl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef and onion
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion Dice the onion.
Canned beans and vegetables
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drain before adding.
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans Drain before adding.
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans Drain before adding.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drain before adding.
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Seasonings
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Hidden Valley original Ranch
Soup base and toppings
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • shredded cheddar For generous toppings.
  • sour cream For generous toppings.
  • tortilla chips For generous toppings.
  • green onions Optional topping, for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a very large Dutch oven and brown the ground beef with the diced onion until the beef is cooked through; drain off excess fat and discard it.
  2. Add the black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes, then stir in the taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, and Hidden Valley original Ranch until evenly combined.
  3. Pour in the beef broth and bring the soup to a boil, stirring so the seasonings dissolve.
Simmer
  1. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the soup is thickened to your liking.
  2. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, keeping in mind the three seasoning packets drive the bold, well-seasoned flavor.
Serve
  1. Serve the taco soup hot with a very generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and lots of tortilla chips, and add green onions if using.

Notes

Pro tip: drain each bean and corn well so the soup thickens instead of turning watery. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (freeze without the toppings, and add cheddar/sour cream/chips after reheating). Dietary swap: use ground turkey instead of ground beef for a lighter option while keeping the same seasoning mix.