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Paula Deen Taco Soup

Paula Deen taco soup is a hearty Southern Tex-Mex main dish with ground beef, three kinds of beans, and corn simmered until thick and flavorful. Finish it with a generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and tortilla chips for that loaded, can-and-bowl comfort vibe.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef and aromatics
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1 large onion, diced
Canned beans and vegetables
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Seasonings and broth
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Hidden Valley original Ranch
  • 4 cup beef broth
Toppings
  • 0.5 shredded cheddar For generous topping; add to taste.
  • 0.5 sour cream For generous topping; add to taste.
  • 0.5 tortilla chips For lots of topping; add to taste.
  • 0.25 green onions Optional garnish; add to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a very large pot over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef with the diced onion until browned, stirring often, then drain off excess fat.
  2. Add the drained black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the pot, then stir in all three seasoning packets until evenly combined.
Simmer
  1. Pour in the beef broth and bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the soup looks slightly thickened.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve hot with a very generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, lots of tortilla chips, and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the simmer gentle so the beans don’t break down too much—stir often and taste near the end to adjust salt/pepper. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because sour cream and toppings can change texture after thawing. For a lighter version, swap some of the beef for extra-lean ground beef and use reduced-sodium ranch/taco seasoning packets if available.