Easy Taco Soup with Ranch | Clean Eating Soup Recipe (2024)

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This Easy Taco Soup with Ranch recipe is bursting with flavor without packaged ingredients. It is a healthy and easy to make meal that the whole family will love. This is gluten-free, dairy-free, and weight watchers friendly. Mix together ground meat, a variety of beans, corn, and a wonderful seasoning blend to create a delicious and protein-packed soup the whole family will enjoy!

Easy Taco Soup with Ranch | Clean Eating Soup Recipe (1)

Easy Taco Soup with Ranch | Clean Eating Soup

This Taco Soup recipe is very versatile and can easily be tweaked to fit your taste buds and schedule. For example, you can use whatever kind of beans you prefer, whatever meat you like best (we’ve used grass-fed bison, grass-fed beef, and ground chicken!), and you can use the cooking method that best fits your schedule.

This recipe is one that I remember my mom making since I was in high school. She would cook up a big batch and I’ve loved it ever since. I made a few changes to eliminate packaged seasoning but other than that it’s the same old’ taco soup I grew up with.

This soup is perfect plain but you can also sprinkle a little cheese on top and add cilantro.

Can I freeze taco soup?

Yes! I love making big batches of soup like this one to freeze for future meals. While this taco soup with ranch and beans is usually gone before I can blink, there are times I make large batches.

I prefer storing soup in individual freezer portion containers (like these round glass storage containers with lids) so it is easy to grab a single serving for lunches throughout the week. It’s easy to just place those in the refrigerator the night before to thaw or grab straight from the freezer on the day you want to have it. Just pop into the microwave or into a stockpot to reheat to the desired temperature.

Cooking and storage tips for taco soup

  • We make ourown taco and ranch seasoning to eliminate packaged seasoning. Our seasoning mixes are quite popular – try them in this recipe!
    • DIY Low-Carb Taco Seasoning
    • DIY Ranch Seasoning
  • If you are using grass-fed beef or grass-fed bison, you can brown the meat and onions and drain the excess fat before adding the additional ingredients
  • This can be cooked in the crockpot or on the stovetop
  • If you want yours to be more soup-like, add water (start with 1/4-1/2 cup). If you want yours thicker (more like chili), leave out the extra liquid
  • Cooked meat usually lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, if you will not consume it in that time period freeze the remaining for up to 4 months.

More Soup Recipes

This recipe is great to incorporate into food prep because it tastes great leftover! Here’s our ultimate step-by-step guide to meal prep for an idea of how to begin the meal prep process. Alongside this soup, I know you ill enjoy some of our other popular soup and chili recipes. Check them out below and print, bookmark, or pin to Pinterest for later!

  • Chicken and Kale Crockpot Soup
  • Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
  • Turkey Black Bean Chili
  • Instant Pot Bison Chili

This was originally published on May 13, 2013, and updated on October 15, 2019.

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Easy Taco Soup with Ranch | Clean Eating Soup Recipe (2)

Clean Eating Taco Soup

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Whitney Carlson
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This Taco Soup is bursting with flavor without packaged ingredients. It is a healthy, easy to make meal that the whole family will love and is gluten-free, dairy free, and weight watchers friendly.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 lb extra lean ground turkey or grass-fed beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 pkg ranch dressing mix (make your own ranch seasoning mix)
  • 1 pkg taco seasoning mix (make your own low-carb taco seasoning)
  • 1 can (16 oz) pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn (or organic frozen corn)
  • 1 can (8 oz) organic diced tomatoes with chiles
  • 1 can (8 oz) organic diced tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Brown meat & onions, drain if desired (you do not have to fully cook since it will still cook when the remaining ingredients are added)
  2. Mix ranch & taco seasonings into the meat
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients into the mixture (you may also need to add a little bit of water)
  4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour (you can simmer in the crockpot or on the stovetop)

Notes

  • If you are using grass-fed beef or grass-fed bison, you can brown the meat and onions and drain the excess fat before adding the additional ingredients
  • If you want yours to be more soup-like, add water (start with 1/4-1/2 cup)
  • Your macros will vary depending on the type of meat you use (the macros listed below were calculated using grass-fed bison)
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican

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Comments

    • I malinda says

      I have made this many times. One of my favorites!

      Reply

  1. Whitney Carlson says

    COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS WEBSITE (ADMIN):

    Made this tonight, kept it thicker and husband made his as a burro and I put mine over a salad.

    I have had this before made with the store bought packets and I thought it was terrible- tasted like eating straight up MSG. I’d be curious to try it with the homemade mixes, it might be edible that way.

    This was sooo good! Thank you for adding it!

    I love taco soup!! I will have to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    I never had taco soup until we moved to Texas. Yum!!

    Thanks for the inspiration. I ‘ve got a vegan version of this in the crockpot now.

    Reply

  2. Andrea says

    Made this for our lunches for the week. Delicious and easy.

    Reply

  3. Joy says

    This sounds delicious, but with the canned ingredients it is probably high in sodium. Do you track your sodium intake? Would love to see a section of recipes with tips on cutting back on that!

    Reply

    • Whitney Carlson says

      Hi Joy! Great question! We usually rinse our beans and typically use frozen corn (I need to update the recipe with this info) which helps a little bit. However, using dry beans is a better option. We do have a post on that, I’ll link to it below. I hope this helps. Thanks for taking the time to comment. https://www.heandsheeatclean.com/cooking-with-dry-beans/

      Reply

  4. Diana says

    Wow. This recipe is so good! Both my husband & love it! Your homemade seasonings (ranch & taco) are also super! Going to make this one on repeat for sure & will check more of your recipes. Thank you!

    Reply

  5. Peggy says

    How much is a serving? A cup? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Whitney Carlson says

      Hi Peggy! I typically eat around one cup. 🙂 I hope this helps!

      Reply

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Easy Taco Soup with Ranch | Clean Eating Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many calories are in taco soup with ranch dressing? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
342Calories
10gFat
45gCarbs
22gProtein
Nov 16, 2023

How do I thicken up my taco soup? ›

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

How to thicken taco soup without cornstarch? ›

Yes, using vegetable puree can be a great option to thicken taco soup while maintaining its flavor. Puree a portion of the cooked vegetables from your soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, then stir it back into the soup. This will not only thicken the soup but also enhance its texture and taste.

How to make taco soup less spicy? ›

Add Some Starches

The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve a smaller portion with plenty of rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, or plain starch to counter the heat. For soups and stews, raw and starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrots work well.

How many calories are in a cup of homemade taco soup? ›

Nutrition Information
NutrientsAmount
Total Calories204
Total Fat5 g
Saturated Fat2 g
Cholesterol28 mg
10 more rows

Is ranch dressing high in calories? ›

An average 2-tablespoon (30-ml) serving of ranch dressing contains 129 calories, 13 grams of fat, less than 1 gram of protein, and about 2 grams of carbs ( 2 ). Here are some calorie and ingredient details for a 2-tablespoon (30-ml) serving of several popular brands ( 1 ).

Can you add milk to soup to make it creamy? ›

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half. If you want to make regular (non-creamy) chicken noodle soup, replace the milk with more chicken broth.

How can I make my soup thicker and creamy? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  1. Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  2. Add cream or yogurt. ...
  3. Add flour or cornflour. ...
  4. Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  5. Blend in bread. ...
  6. Add lentils or rice. ...
  7. 5 of the best soup recipes to try next:

Why is my taco soup so watery? ›

Addition of Cornstarch or Flour: Create a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch or flour with water. Stir this mixture into the soup and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

Is it better to thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

What happens when you add cornstarch to soup? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

How to make soup richer? ›

Simple method with things I'd almost guarantee you have in your kitchen - take two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of flour; mix it into a “paste” like consistency, then mix it into your soup until it dissolves. Your soup will be thicker and creamier.

Does adding water to soup make it less spicy? ›

Dilute It. Another simple way to temper something spicy is to dilute it. This can be done by adding more of the non-spicy ingredients to a dish (like vegetables, grains, meat or broth) or even just by adding water to thin it out.

What cancels out spicy in soup? ›

Turns out, the fiery chemical in hot chilis, capsaicin, likes to bind itself onto a compound in milk, which neutralizes the burn. Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy.

Can I add milk to soup? ›

Yes, you can definitely add cream to your soup. Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.

How many calories does a bowl of taco soup have? ›

Nutrition summary

There are 278 calories in 1 serving of Beef Taco Soup. Calorie split: 21% fat, 59% carbs, 21% protein.

How many calories are in 8 oz of taco soup? ›

There are 183 calories in 8 ounces of Taco Soup. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

How many calories are in 16 oz of taco soup? ›

Hale and Hearty Soups
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 16 oz
How many calories are in Taco Soup, Large? Amount of calories in Taco Soup, Large: Calories 460Calories from Fat 252 (54.8%)
% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Taco Soup, Large? Amount of fat in Taco Soup, Large: Total Fat 28g-
13 more rows

How many calories are in a large bowl of tortilla soup? ›

Islands Tortilla Soup Large Bowl (1 serving) contains 40g total carbs, 37g net carbs, 38g fat, 30g protein, and 610 calories.

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