Description
This Cheesy Taco Soup is a comforting, flavorful dish packed with ground turkey, beans, vegetables, and melted Velveeta cheese. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight meal that combines the zest of taco spices with the creaminess of cheese for a hearty and satisfying soup.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Dairy
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
Vegetables & Beans
- 1 (15 oz) can chili beans, do not drain
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 cup salsa
Liquids
- 1 (14.5 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Spices
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Brown Turkey: In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the ground turkey along with kosher salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Cook while crumbling the meat until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease from the pot to keep the soup from becoming too oily.
- Add Ingredients: Pour in the reduced-sodium chicken broth, chili beans (with liquid), black beans (drained and rinsed), petite diced tomatoes (with liquid), drained corn, and salsa. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Add Cheese: Stir in the cubed Velveeta cheese and cover the pot again. Continue simmering for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted into the soup, creating a creamy texture.
- Serve: Ladle the cheesy taco soup into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings such as tortilla chips or strips, sour cream, and shredded cheese for extra flavor and texture.
Notes
- Using ground turkey makes this soup leaner, but you can substitute ground beef if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of chili powder and cumin to suit your spice tolerance.
- To make it gluten-free, confirm that all canned ingredients and salsa are gluten-free.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and also freeze nicely for up to 3 months.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the ground turkey with plant-based ground meat and use vegetable broth.
