If you’re looking for a quick meal for a busy night, try this easy-to-make turkey taco soup. Simple pantry ingredients combine to make this delicious soup that’s a little bit spicy and totally satisfying.
This recipe makes a big pot of soup, so you can feed a crowd. Any leftover soup reheats really well too, enjoy!
Turkey taco soup ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, finely diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 pound Ground Turkey, lean but not turkey breast – we used 93% Lean 7% Fat
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (if desired, just keep in mind that they will add a kick to your soup)
- 1 (28 ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes (we used fire roasted)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Frozen Corn
- Salt, to taste if needed – wait until the end
Suggested toppings:
- Sour Cream
- Chopped Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Tortilla Chips or Strips
- Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
Prep Work
This is one of the easiest soups ever. The only prep work is dicing the onions and mincing the garlic. Everything else involves measuring and opening cans. (Although, opening cans can prove to be a little difficult and frustrating if the can opener sucks! But I won’t get into that right now.)
Ground turkey recipes
I love using ground turkey in recipes. Using a lean variety saves on fat and we can give red meat a break. Plus, once I’m done browning and adding in spices, it’s just a flavorful as ground beef.
But… there are two annoying things about ground turkey and they both have to do with aesthetics:
- That pale, grayish color; and
- The stringy pieces that are practically impossible to break up.
Luckily, they’re both really easy to get rid of. In this recipe, the chili powder gives the turkey a beautiful, rich color. Paprika, tomato paste and tomato sauce are also great ways to add flavor to ground turkey and get rid of that pale color.
Now, to get rid of those pesky, stringy pieces: Open the package and use a fork to gently press and fold the ground turkey, destroying the pattern.
Try to not overwork the ground turkey, combine it just enough to get rid of the strings. Once you drop the turkey into the skillet, you’ll still need to break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, but stringy turkey will be a thing of the past.
Looking for more delicious ways to use ground turkey? Try one of these recipes:
Start the Taco Soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but nowhere near smoking, add the onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Next, add the garlic to the pot and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Brown the ground turkey
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the turkey, chili powder, cumin and crushed red pepper (if using) to the pot.
Stir to mix well and break up the ground turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook approximately 5 – 7 minutes until it is browned, stirring frequently.
Finish the turkey taco soup
Add the chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans and corn to the pot. Raise the heat to high and stir the soup well to combine all of the ingredients.
When the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer the soup for at least 20 – 25 minutes to let all those flavors develop and come together.
Stir the taco soup occasionally and keep it at a simmer. If it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
Cook’s Notes:
Do not add salt to this soup until the end. The canned tomatoes, beans and chicken broth all contain a good amount of salt already. When the turkey taco soup is done, give it a taste, and add salt if needed. As a reference, we added 1 teaspoon of salt to our soup.
Top the soup with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips or the toppings of your choice.
Turkey Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 pound Ground Turkey lean but not turkey breast – we used 93% Lean 7% Fat
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes if desired
- 1 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 15 ounce cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Frozen Corn
- Salt to taste if needed
Instructions
Suggested toppings: Sour Cream, Chopped Cilantro, Green Onions, Tortilla Chips or Strips, Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic to the pot and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground turkey, chili powder, cumin and crushed red pepper (if using) to the pot.
- Stir to mix well and break up the ground turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook approximately 5 – 7 minutes until it is browned, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans and corn to the pot. Raise the heat to high and stir the soup well to combine all of the ingredients.
- When the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer the soup for at least 20 – 25 minutes to let all those flavors develop and come together.
- Stir the taco soup occasionally and keep it at a simmer. If it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
- Top the soup with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips or the toppings of your choice.
Notes
Do not add salt to this soup until the end. The canned tomatoes, beans and chicken broth all contain a good amount of salt already. When the turkey taco soup is done, give it a taste, and add salt if needed. As a reference, we add 1 teaspoon of salt to our soup.
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