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Paula Deen Taco Soup

Paula Deen taco soup is a bold Southern Tex-Mex soup made with browned ground beef, onion, and all the cans. Simmered until thick and flavorful, it’s topped with a mountain of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern Tex-Mex
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 2 lb ground beef
Onion
  • 1 onion large, diced
Beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans drained
Corn and tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
  • 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
Broth
  • 4 cup beef broth
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar for generous topping
  • 0.5 cup sour cream for generous topping
  • 2 cup tortilla chips for lots of chips on top
  • 2 tbsp green onions for topping
Salt and pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt to season
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to season

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a very large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with the diced onion until the meat is cooked through. Drain the fat so the soup isn’t greasy.
Build the soup
  1. Add the black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the pot, then stir well to combine. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, and Hidden Valley original Ranch and stir again until evenly distributed.
  2. Pour in the beef broth and bring the soup to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Keep the boil steady for the next step.
Simmer and serve
  1. Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and hot throughout. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
  2. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, keeping the bold flavor from the three seasoning packets in mind. Stir to fully incorporate.
  3. Serve immediately with a very generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and lots of tortilla chips, plus green onions. Add toppings right before eating to keep the chips crunchy.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the beef fat after browning for a cleaner, thicker mouthfeel. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (freeze soup without the chips, then add toppings after reheating). For a lighter option, use lean ground beef and swap reduced-fat shredded cheddar and sour cream.