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Paula Deen Taco Soup

Paula Deen taco soup is a bold, can-packed Tex-Mex main dish simmered until thick and flavorful. Ground beef, onions, beans, corn, Rotel, and diced tomatoes come together fast, then finish with a mountain of cheddar, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
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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
  • 2 lb ground beef
onion
  • 1 onion Dice for browning with the beef.
black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
kidney beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
pinto beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained
corn
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
ranch dressing mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
Hidden Valley original Ranch
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Hidden Valley original Ranch
beef broth
  • 4 cup beef broth
shredded cheddar
  • 1 shredded cheddar For generous toppings.
sour cream
  • 1 sour cream For generous toppings.
tortilla chips
  • 1 tortilla chips For lots of crunch-topping.
green onions
  • 1 green onions For optional freshness topping.
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper To season at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and onion
  1. Heat a very large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with the diced onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat so the soup stays hearty and not greasy.
Build the soup
  1. Add the drained black beans, drained kidney beans, drained pinto beans, drained corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir in the taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, and Hidden Valley original Ranch until evenly combined.
  2. Pour in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring once or twice to loosen any browned bits. Keep the boil steady so the flavors start blending right away.
Simmer and finish
  1. Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes until the broth looks thickened and the beans are tender. If it’s bubbling too aggressively, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, noting that the three packets provide the signature bold, well-seasoned Paula Deen flavor. Give one last stir to fully distribute the seasoning.
Serve
  1. Serve hot with a very generous topping of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and lots of tortilla chips. Add green onions on top if using for extra color and freshness.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the beef fat after browning to keep the soup from turning greasy, and stir after adding each canned batch so the seasonings coat everything. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or microwave. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat; add fresh toppings (cheddar, sour cream, chips, green onions) after reheating. For a lighter option, use 93% lean ground beef and top with reduced-fat cheddar and sour cream.