Easy Taco Soup ~ Bags To Dishes~
How To Make An Easy Taco Soup Recipe
One of my Bags to Dishes favorite recipes is the Easy Taco Soup Recipe. And by the way, thank you all so much for all of the wonderful comments on my Bags to Dishes series! More information on Bags to Dishes can be found in the series of recipes so that you can have all of the recipes I use in my bags to dishes meals. Be sure to read the original post to find out how you can convert your own meals into shelf stable ones in order to have your family’s favorite recipes available with the grab of a bag, like this Easy Taco Soup!
Taco Soup (my mom calls it Sante Fe Soup) is one of those incredibly flavorful meals that involves nothing more than opening a few cans and packets, stirring together, and simmering. It has all sorts of wonderful veggies in it, but you can add even more if you like.
Customize your taco soup to your likin’
This version of taco soup recipe can also be customized when it comes to serving. I sometimes top mine with cheese or sour cream but we often just leave it as it because it is already so good! If’ I’m really wanting a heartier meal or need to stretch it to feed more, I serve it over rice, which I purchase for less than half the retail price by buying in bulk.
Taco soup ingredients are easy
When you’re ready to make it, this entire meal comes together in less than 15 minutes. I gather up all of the canned goods and then measure out the spices into a bag. You can use spice packets if you prefer (just one packet ranch dressing mix and one packet taco seasoning of your choice along with a little onion powder) but I buy those in bulk at Sam’s to save money.
I alternate between using Dehydrated Ground Beef and black beans but I never hesitate to use black beans in place of beef in a Bags to Dishes recipe, so you go with whatever you want.
Main options/alternatives for beef in this taco soup recipe
- Dehydrated Ground Beef
- Ground Beef from Freezer (label it for this bag meal so you don’t use it for something else)
- Canned Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
- Canned Chicken, etc
In your bag for this soup you’ll need to assemble :
- Beef Option (choose one from above)
- Kidney beans
- Corn
- Ro-tel*
- Tomato sauce
- A seasoning bag of onion powder
- Ranch dressing mix
- Taco seasoning mix
Actual recipe is below. Be sure and print out a copy of the recipe to include in the bag. That’s it!
I usually make anywhere from 2-4 Taco Soup Bag meals at a time.
What is Rotel?
*Rotel is diced tomatoes with green chilies. If you can’t get it where you live, you can substitute a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of chopped green chilies. You’ll have a wee bit more tomatoes and chilies in your soup but it will be fine. Another option is to move to where they sell Rotel but I’m guessing that may be out of most people’s budgets and it would be cheaper just to buy the substitution ingredients.
Now let’s get cookin’…
- To make this meal, open all cans and dump everything into a pot along with the water. I don’t drain anything with the exception of those times I use black beans. I always drain and rinse black beans before adding them to a recipe because the liquid in the can imparts an overwhelming black bean taste to the dish if you don’t.
- Bring this just to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- In about fifteen minutes, you can have supper 🙂
This is one of six Bags to Dishes recipes that I’ve shared with you.
If you make up four of each of those, then you could have 3 days each week for the next month that you don’t have to worry about what’s for supper!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef frozen, dehydrated, or substitute 1 can black beans that have been rinsed
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 1 can corn
- 15 ounce can Ro-Tel
- 15 ounce can Tomato Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix or 1 packet
- 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix or 1 packet
- 1 +1/2 cups water
Instructions
To assemble: Measure out all spices and seasonings and place in small zipper seal bag. Place bag in 2 gallon zipper seal bag along with all other ingredients, except water. Include printed copy of this recipe.
To make:
- Open all cans but do not drain, with the exception of black beans, if using. Black beans should be drained and rinsed. Dump all ingredients into a medium pot. Stir.
- Bring just to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce to low and simmer 5-10 minutes.
Serve warm, as is or with toppings of your choice such as cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, salsa, avocado, etc. (We just usually serve it as it is)
Nutrition
For more bags to dishes recipes see these recipes:
Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole,
“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.”
~Albert Einstein
I am making this in the slow cooker right now with the black beans instead of beef or chicken because that was what I had. Yum. Thanks for another great recipe as always. Blessings to you and your family.
This recipe lived up to it’s promise. I was dog tired tonight but making Taco Soup was (thankfully) easy as could be. I opened the cans and my kids dumped them in the pot. Stir, stir and dinner was served. I ate mine with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of cilantro over a dollop of sour cream. So darn good! 🙂
I am so glad to hear it saved the day!!!
How many cups of cooked ground beef make a pound?
It is somewhere between 1 and 2 cups. I try to stretch mine and use only 1 cup but I use two when we have company.
Can you substitute ground turkey for the beef?
You sure can, just don’t try dehydrating it.
Does ground turkey not dehydrate? I am so new to this it is kind of embarrassing.
No need to be embarrassed! You can dehydrate turkey, but you probably want to research how it dehydrates and best practices. Also, make sure your dehydrator reaches a temperature of 165. I just don’t use ground turkey for anything so I don’t have personal experience with it.
Christy, you have done it again! Made it for dinner and it was a hit. So yummy. Thanks, can’t wait to try the other Bags to Dishes recipes. 🙂
I am so glad to hear it was a hit!
Could this be a fish taco soup? How would you do that?
thanks, love your site, cindy
It certainly could! I’m afraid the “how” is up to you though since we don’t eat fish. Please report back what you do and how it turns out!
Christy,
I love this new series of meals. I had told my 2 kiddos (girl 10, boy 8) that they could start making simple meals in the kitchen after school starts up again, with me supervising them. I showed them your first recipe and how it was in a bag, and that you were going to give more of them to us. They LOVE the idea. They’ve come up with a couple of ideas themselves for meals too.
Now, they have a big dishpan apiece, both have the first 2 recipes packed in them.
I’ve been letting them “help” me in the kitchen for a couple of years now, and they want to progress to planning the meal, and really cooking. This is a great way for them to start on their cooking journey.
Thanks again for a wonderful idea, that is kid friendly.
Angie H
Oh my goodness!!! I love it!! I would also love to hear about their meal ideas!!