Turkey Taco Soup
Turkey Taco Soup is a simple, delicious wintertime meal. Easy to make and even easier to eat, this soup adds a zing of spice and lots of vegetables to liven up any weeknight meal. Finish with cheese, avocado or a dollop of sour cream to highlight this well-spiced soup. Makes 6 servings.
If you’re a big fan of taco flavors, check out Beef Taco Pasta Salad and Vegetarian Taco Cups!
At this time last year, I was one day from my due date and ready to pop.
Little did I know I’d have to wait nine additional days to meet our sweet baby girl.
Other than not going into labor when I thought was an acceptable time—which I know is a joke since I wasn’t in control at all—I experienced miserable heartburn, which meant I couldn’t eat spicy food during most of my pregnancy. Which was majorly unfortunate because even though I’m not a Louisianan like my husband, I enjoy a little spice when it comes to food.
Why I love this recipe:
Turkey Taco Soup is a family favorite meal, and it’s so easy to make.
All you need is an onion, garlic, some ground turkey, a few cans of chicken stock, peeled tomatoes, refried beans, diced green chiles, and a frozen package of corn.
One thing I love about this taco soup recipe is that you can customize it to your tastebuds, meaning you can take the heat down a notch… or do what my husband does and add more.
You can also swap out the ground meat in this easy taco soup recipe to transform it into Chicken Taco Soup or even a classic Beef Taco Soup.
Another great thing about this soup recipe is that it’s great when you first cook it, and it stores well, so leftovers are excellent, too.
Other comforting soup recipes to try: Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup | Chicken Spaetzle Soup | Spicy Tomato Soup | Vegan Potato Leek Soup | Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
Need dinner inspiration? Head on over to my Dinner Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make this easy taco soup recipe:
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- Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts)
- Rubber spatula
- Wooden spoon
In addition to these tools, you’re going to need a few ingredients to make homemade taco soup:
- Extra virgin olive oil—or another lightly flavored oil
- Onion—yellow or white works perfectly in this recipe. I do not recommend using a red onion.
- Garlic cloves
- Taco seasoning—you can make your own or use a store bought blend if that’s easier
- Ground turkey—or swap it out with ground turkey or a leaner ground beef
- Unsalted chicken stock
- Canned peeled tomatoes—I like the texture these add to the soup. However, if you don’t have these, you could substitute the same amount of tomato puree. Be sure that you’re not adding a can of tomato sauce, which is pre-seasoned.
- Refried beans—we always use the vegetarian kind, but feel free to pick up your favorite brand from the store
- Diced green chiles—you can roast your own or use a can from the store
- Frozen corn—you could also use canned corn if you don’t have frozen
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—to add additional flavor, if necessary
You can also add garnishes to your taco soup, too! Here are a few of our favorites:
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Cheese—cheddar or Monterey Jack are our favorites
- Tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
How to make Taco Soup at Home
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven.
When the oil is simmering, add the onion and garlic. Saute these aromatics until they’re translucent and fragrant.
Add the taco seasoning to the vegetables, then add the ground turkey, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring constantly until the turkey is browned.
Next, pour in the chicken stock, peeled tomatoes, refried beans, diced onions and frozen corn.
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper after tasting.
Serve warm with sour cream, cheese, avocado and tortilla chips, and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
We really like this Turkey Taco Soup recipe with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado and sour cream, but you can pair it with other things. Adding a squeeze of lime juice before you eat it is always delicious, too.
In this soup recipe, we don’t add a thickener and the liquid portion of the soup remains rather thin, though it’s bulked up by the addition of veggies. If you wanted to thicken this soup, I would make a slurry of masa or cornstarch and water and pour it in.
This soup will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
If you’ve got leftover taco soup, you can definitely freeze it. Pour it into a freezer-safe container or bag, and make sure to give it some room for the soup to expand as it freezes. You can keep it frozen for 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave.
Quick tips and tricks to the best homemade taco soup
- Have all your ingredients ready to go. This recipe cooks up quickly if everything is prepared and with you before you get to cooking it. Chop the onions and garlic. Open all the canned ingredients (and drain the chiles.)
- Purchase pre-chopped onion and garlic if that makes your life easier. This taco soup recipe is meant to be easy as pie, and if having those on hand makes it to where you actually cook this, do that.
- Don’t forget the toppings! Add tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado slices, lime wedges, cilantro, etc., and have fun with it.
Turkey Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion minced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock 32 oz.
- 28 oz. canned peeled tomatoes
- 16 oz. refried beans
- 4 oz. diced green chiles drained
- 12 oz. frozen corn
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Serving
- Sour cream
- Monterrey Jack cheese or any other favorite cheese
- Avocado
- Tortilla chips
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Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is warm, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the garlic and onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning to the onion mixture. Add the ground turkey, too. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and stir constantly until the turkey has browned.
- Pour in the chicken stock, peeled tomatoes, refried beans, diced green chiles and corn.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on. Season with additional salt and pepper after tasting.
- Serve warm with sour cream, cheese, avocado and tortilla chips, and enjoy.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
This looks so good. I’m going to try this soon!
This soup looks and sounds great, and glad you’re not enduring the same misery you were last year this time! 🙂
I’ve really been craving soups lately. This looks so comforting and delicious. I really have been wanting to cook more with turkey. Since my blog is a baking blog, I’m trying to eat healthier behind the scenes. 😮 Thanks for sharing this!