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Santa Fe Taco Soup

Santa Fe taco soup is a hearty Tex-Mex bowl built with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It simmers into a flavorful broth, then gets finished with cool sour cream, creamy avocado, salty cotija, and crispy tortilla strips.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and vegetables base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cook until done, then shred.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drain well.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drain well.
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper To taste.
Santa Fe toppings
  • sour cream
  • avocado Dice for serving.
  • cotija cheese Crumble over top.
  • cilantro Fresh, chopped.
  • lime wedges
  • tortilla strips Crispy for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the soup
  1. Add shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced green chiles, both tomatoes, both seasoning packets, chicken broth, cumin, and smoked paprika to a large pot and stir to combine.
  2. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice as it thickens slightly.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with sour cream, diced avocado, crumbled cotija, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
  2. Finish each bowl with crispy tortilla strips for crunch before eating.

Notes

For best flavor, let the soup sit off-heat for 5 minutes before serving so the spices hydrate. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a sealed container; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Freezing works well for the soup base (without toppings) for up to 3 months—thaw and reheat, then add fresh toppings. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat sour cream and skip or reduce the amount of cotija.