Category: Beef Soup Recipes

Taco Soup

Taco soup is an easy and hearty soup with all the flavor of your favorite tacos in a warm and delicious bowl of soup.

The post Taco Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Taco soup was one of the first things I ever posted on Budget Bytes, and now I’m ready for this tasty soup to make a roaring comeback. Not only do I appreciate how quick and easy this soup is to make, but now I’ve got my own homemade versions of all the seasoning mixes so I can go 100% homemade, or take the store-bought shortcut when needed! I like having options. ;)

Overhead view of a bowl of taco soup with toppings.

What is Taco Soup?

Taco soup is a really easy soup made with ground beef, tons of beans, some vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green chiles, and corn, and a generously spiced tomato broth. It’s got a ton of flavor and texture, but requires barely any work to prepare. And the best part? It’s just begging for all the fun toppings that you might find on a taco!

Here’s what you’ll need to make taco soup:

  • Ground beef: Ground beef helps make this soup really hearty and meal-worthy, but if you don’t like beef you can substitute with ground turkey, pork, pulled pork, or even make it vegetarian by adding extra beans and vegetables.
  • Beans: Beans help bulk up this recipe while keeping the cost lost. For this recipe we use two kinds of beans (pinto and black beans), but you can always add more if you’d like!
  • Vegetables: A medley of vegetables keeps this bowl of soup colorful AND flavorful. We used onion, garlic, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and corn. And the sky’s the limit when it comes to adding more veggies.
  • Seasonings: This soup is not short on flavor thanks to not just one but TWO seasoning mixes, taco seasoning, and ranch seasoning. You can use our homemade recipe for either one or take a shortcut and use a store-bought seasoning packet. This bold mix of flavors makes sure that every spoonful is a ten!
  • Tomato paste: A few tablespoons of tomato paste helps thicken the broth just a bit and adds a little brightness to the soup.
  • Toppings: This is where the soup gets fun! Add all your favorite taco toppings to your bowl, or make it a spread and allow each person to build their own bowl.
Overhead view of a pot of taco soup with toppings and a ladle.

What to Serve with Taco Soup

Taco soup has a lot going on in each bowl, so it could easily be considered a whole meal in one bowl, but if you want to add a little something-something on the side, I’d go for some simple cornbread or maybe some Cilantro Lime Rice.

But before you even get to the side dishes, make sure you have some of these fun toppings for taco soup:

  • Tortilla chips
  • Avocado
  • Sour Cream
  • Green onion
  • Pickled red onion
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Fresh lime

Store-Bought vs. Homemade Seasonings

One of the reasons taco soup is so popular is because it’s easy to make and uses a lot of convenient, shelf-stable pantry ingredients. Instead of measuring out ten different herbs and spices you can use store-bought seasoning mixes in one go. But those store-bought seasoning packets do tend to be a sodium bomb. So if you want a little more control over the ingredients in your taco soup, we have homemade versions of BOTH seasoning packets that you can use in their place. :) See our Homemade Taco Seasoning and Homemade Ranch Seasoning for a more “from scratch” option.

How to Store taco Soup

Taco soup is great for meal prep because the flavors just get better as they chill in the fridge! Divide this soup up into single servings just after cooking to allow it to cool faster, then store in the fridge for 4-5 days. For longer storage, you can transfer the chilled soup to the freezer and store for about three months. The soup reheats easily in the microwave or in a saucepot over medium low.

Overhead view of three bowls of taco soup with different toppings.
One bowl of taco soup with toppings.
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Taco Soup

Taco soup is an easy and hearty soup with all the flavor of your favorite tacos in a warm and delicious bowl of soup.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Total Cost $11.84 recipe / $1.97 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 1.5 cups each
Calories 419kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the olive oil and ground beef to a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until the beef is fully browned. If using a high-fat content beef, drain the excess fat from the pot.
  • While the beef is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot with the beef and continue to cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
  • Add the frozen corn, pinto beans (drained), black beans (drained), and diced tomatoes with green chiles (with juices), and stir to combine.
  • Add the tomato paste, taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, and water to the pot. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high, place a lid on the pot, and bring the soup up to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve hot with your favorite toppings!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

* In place of store-bought seasoning packets you can use our homemade taco seasoning and homemade ranch seasoning. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 1412mg | Fiber: 12g

How to Make Taco Soup – Step by Step Photos

Cooked ground beef with diced onion and minced garlic in a soup pot.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and one pound of ground beef to a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until the beef is cooked through. If using a high-fat content beef, drain the excess fat from the pot. Once the beef is cooked, add one diced yellow onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic. Continue to stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.

Beans, corn, and tomatoes in the pot.

Add one cup frozen corn kernels, one 15oz. can black beans (drained), one 15oz. can of pinto beans (drained), and two 10oz. cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles (with juices). Stir to combine.

Water pouring into the pot.

Add 3 Tbsp tomato paste, one packet of taco seasoning (or one recipe homemade taco seasoning), one packet of ranch seasoning (or one recipe homemade ranch seasoning), and 2 cups water. Stir to combine.

Finished taco soup in the pot.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and place a lid on top. Allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, give it a stir, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finished taco soup in the pot with no toppings.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking (I did not add anything additional).

One bowl of taco soup with toppings.

Serve the soup hot with your favorite toppings! (shown: tortilla chips, cilantro, and sour cream)

Three bowls of taco soup with different toppings.

More Easy Soup Recipes

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Use your slow cooker to make this incredible Beef Stew full of aromatic rosemary and garlic, fork-tender beef, and colorful vegetables.

The post Slow Cooker Beef Stew appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Whoa. Just, WHOA. I’ve never smelled anything as lovely and drool-inducing as the scent in my house while I cooked this Slow Cooker Beef Stew. The aroma had me checking the clock every 15 minutes to see if it was done yet. I couldn’t wait to lift the lid and take a quick taste. And when I finally did? INCREDIBLE. This is definitely a recipe you want to make before winter is over!

Overhead view of a beef stew in the slow cooker.

Ingredients for Beef Stew

Beef stew, in its most basic form, is really simple. It’s just chunky pieces of beef, vegetables, broth, and some herbs and spices, all cooked down until it forms a delicious cozy gravy. But I took this beef stew up a few notches with some extra special ingredients that add more umami and flavor to the stew gravy. The ingredient list may look long, but I promise it’s worth it. Here’s what you’ll need for the most incredible beef stew ever:

  • Beef Stew Meat – Stew meat, which is usually cubed chuck steak, tends to be a tougher cut, but it softens to an extremely tender texture when cooked low and slow (like in a slow cooker).
  • All-Purpose Flour – Lightly coating the stew meat in flour and then searing it before it goes into the slow cooker increases the Maillard reaction and deepens the flavor. The flour also helps thicken the stew’s gravy.
  • Vegetables – We use a hearty and flavorful mix of carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes to create a naturally flavorful gravy. The vegetables also help thicken the gravy as they break down into the broth.
  • Beef Broth – Broth acts as the base for the gravy and provides a nice moist environment for the meat to cook to tender perfection. Make sure to use a broth with great flavor. We like to use Better Than Bouillon to make our broth.
  • Seasonings – This is where we really take the flavor to the next level. For this recipe, we combined garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to make an over-the-top good gravy that is full of layered flavor and umami goodness.

Tips for the Best Beef Stew

  • Sear the meat first. Browning the beef gives it an extra deep flavor that can’t be achieved in the moist environment of the slow cooker alone.
  • Add extra umami. Adding ingredients to the broth that contain a lot of umami, like Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, ramps up the flavor in the stew and makes the flavor extra “meaty”.
  • Don’t rush it. Stew meat needs to cook low and slow for a long time in order for the tough connective tissues to break down and become tender. If your stew meat is tough, reduce the heat and cook it a little longer.
  • Don’t skip the veggies. Including a variety of vegetables in your stew not only adds texture and color, but the vegetables add a ton of extra flavor to the gravy, so you’ll get a delicious, multi-dimensional flavor in the final stew.
Overhead view of a bowl of beef stew with a spoon.

How to Thicken Beef Stew

There are multiple ways to thicken a beef stew, but I prefer to allow the stew to thicken naturally as the vegetables cook and begin to break down into the broth. The stew may look a little watery when you first lift the lid, but once you begin to stir the vegetables (especially the potato) will begin to thicken the liquid in the slow cooker.

Alternately, if you prefer a firmer vegetable, you can add them in the last hour of cooking and then use a cornstarch slurry (3 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water) to thicken your stew. Once the cornstarch is mixed into the broth and brought to a boil, it will thicken into a gravy. This method will result in a less flavorful gravy and a glossy appearance.

What Else Can I add?

This slow cooker beef stew is pretty lush as is, but there are always options if you want to add more! Try adding 8 oz. mushrooms with the vegetables in the beginning (sliced in half) for more vegetable goodness. If you have some red wine on hand, deglaze the skillet used to brown the beef with the wine before proceeding with the gravy. Want it to look extra fancy? Sub 8 oz. pearl onions in place of the chopped onion in the recipe below.

What Do you Serve with Beef Stew?

Beef stew is a pretty well-rounded meal on its own, but you’ll want to sop up every drop of that deliciously thick brown gravy. I suggest serving your Slow Cooker Beef Stew with some bread on the side, like my Focaccia Rolls, or over a bowl warm rice or egg noodles.

Side view of beef stew in the slow cooker.
Close up overhead view of beef stew in a bowl.
Print

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Use your slow cooker to make this incredible Beef Stew full of aromatic rosemary and garlic, fork-tender beef, and colorful vegetables.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Total Cost $16.20 recipe / $2.03 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 1.25 cups each
Calories 269kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. red potatoes $2.40
  • 1 yellow onion $0.37
  • 3 carrots $0.44
  • 4 stalks celery $0.44
  • 4 cloves garlic $0.32
  • 1.5 lbs. beef stew meat $11.24
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.03
  • 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.08
  • 2 cups beef broth $0.27
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard $0.13
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce $0.06
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.06
  • 1.5 tsp brown sugar $0.02
  • 1.5 tsp dried rosemary $0.15
  • 1.5 tsp dried thyme $0.15

Instructions

  • Dice the onion and red potatoes. Slice the carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Place the prepared vegetables in a four or five quart slow cooker.
  • Place the stew meat in a bowl and sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over top. Toss the meat until it's evenly coated in flour.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom. Stir and then allow the beef to brown on a second side. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
  • Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium-low. Add the broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium-low until all the browned bits have dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.
  • Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker and everything a good stir.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
  • After cooking the meat and vegetables should both be tender. Stir the stew well to allow the potatoes to slightly break down and thicken the gravy. Taste the stew and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25cups | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 591mg | Fiber: 3g

Love Beef Stew? You’ve got to try my Chicken Stew next! 

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew – Step by Step Photos

Vegetables for beef stew on a cutting board.

Prepare the vegetables for the stew first. You’ll need to dice 2 lbs. red potatoes and one yellow onion, slice 4 stalks of celery and 3 carrots, and mince 4 cloves of garlic.

Vegetables in a slow cooker.

Place all of your chopped vegetables in a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker. 

Stew meat in a bowl coated with flour, salt, and pepper.

Place 1.5 lbs. stew meat (beef chuck) in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper over the meat. Toss the beef until it’s evenly coated in flour, salt, and pepper.

Browned beef in a skillet.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When it’s very hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and let it cook until browned on the bottom, then stir and allow it to brown on the second side again. Do not stir often, or the beef will not have a chance to brown. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.

Ingredients for the gravy added to the skillet.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and add 2 cups beef broth, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tsp brown sugar, 1.5 tsp dried rosemary, and 1.5 tsp thyme. Heat and stir the ingredients until all of the browned bits are dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.

Broth being poured over the ingredients in the slow cooker.

Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker. It’s okay if the broth does not fully cover the ingredients in the slow cooker at this point.

Slow cooker being covered with a lid.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.

Cooked beef stew in the slow cooker.

After four hours on high (or eight hours on low) the stew should look a little like this. The meat and vegetables should both be tender. The gravy may look a little thin at this point, but don’t worry…

Stirred beef stew in the slow cooker.

Give the stew a good stir and the potatoes will break down a bit and thicken the gravy into a nice rich consistency. Depending on the type of broth used, you may want to taste the stew and add salt to your liking (I did not add any).

Close up overhead view of beef stew in a bowl.

Serve the Slow Cooker Beef Stew as is or spooned over a bowl of hot rice or pasta. THIS will keep you warm and full on cold winter days!

More Slow Cooker Recipes

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Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

This super easy vegetable beef soup is a filling and flavorful option for lunch, dinner, or your weekly meal prep!

The post Easy Vegetable Beef Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.

One of the first things I learned when I embarked on my budget-food journey is just how easy, filling, and inexpensive soup is. Homemade soups are a breeze to throw together and they’re always so much tastier than store-bought canned soup. This vegetable beef soup is a great example. It’s chock-full of colorful veggies, filling ground beef, and the most delicious broth ever. Serve it up with a nice crusty bread for dipping and lunch is served!

Overhead view of a bowl of vegetable beef soup.

What’s in Vegetable Beef Soup?

This classic soup combines ground beef, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, corn, carrots, and green beans in a flavorful broth. To make this soup a bit easier, I’ve used a frozen vegetable mix to cut down on the amount of peeling and chopping needed to prepare the soup. That makes this Vegetable Beef Soup extra fast and easy. :)

To give this vegetable beef soup more flavor, we’ve added a healthy dose of Italian seasoning and some Worcestershire sauce to the broth for extra depth. Make sure you’re using a full-flavored beef broth for maximum deliciousness. I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make flavorful broth for my soups.

Beef Options

I used ground beef in my vegetable beef soup because it was the least expensive and the easiest to use. If you use a higher fat ground beef, you have the option to drain the fat off after browning, or leave it in for extra flavor and richness.

If you have room in your budget and would rather have chunks of beef in your soup, choose a chuck roast or bottom round roast, cut into 1-inch pieces. Simply brown the beef in the pot before adding the rest of the ingredients. No need to cook through during the browning stage, as it will cook through while the soup is simmered.

What Else Can I Add?

This is my favorite part of any recipe. What else can you add to vegetable beef soup to make it your own? Try adding some of these ingredients:

  • Barley
  • Chopped cabbage
  • Celery
  • Cauliflower florets
  • Parsnips
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Finely chopped kale
Overhead view of the pot of vegetable beef soup.
Overhead view of a bowl of vegetable beef soup.

Vegetable Beef Soup

This super easy vegetable beef soup is a filling and flavorful option for lunch, dinner, or your weekly meal prep!
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Total Cost $10.63 recipe / $1.77 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 1.5 cups each
Calories 363kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion $0.32
  • 2 cloves garlic $0.16
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
  • 1 lb. ground beef $6.49
  • 1 russet potato (about ¾ lb.) $0.79
  • 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes $1.19
  • 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning $0.15
  • 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
  • 4 cups beef broth $0.52
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce $0.12
  • 12 oz. frozen vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans) $1.00
  • salt to taste $0.05

Instructions

  • Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
  • Add the ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté until the ground beef is cooked through. If using a higher fat content ground beef, you can drain the excess fat, if you prefer.
  • While the beef is cooking, peel and dice the russet potato into ½-inch cubes.
  • Add the cubed potatoes, diced tomatoes (with juices), Italian seasoning, pepper, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir to combine.
  • Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  • Add the frozen vegetables to the pot and allow the soup to come back up to a simmer. Simmer the vegetables in the soup for about five minutes.
  • Finally, taste the soup and add salt to help the flavors pop. Start with ½ tsp, if desired, and add more until it reaches your desired level.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 21g | Sodium: 939mg | Fiber: 5g
Side view of a the pot of Vegetable Beef Soup with a spoon.

How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup – Step by Step Photos

Onion Garlic and olive oil in a soup pot.

Dice one yellow onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.

Browned ground beef in the soup pot.

Add 1 lb. ground beef and continue to sauté until the beef is cooked through. If you’re using a higher fat content ground beef you can drain off the excess fat, if preferred.

Tomatoes, potatoes, herbs, and broth added to the pot.

While the beef is browning, peel and dice one russet potato (about ¾ lb.) into ½-inch pieces. Add the diced potatoes to the pot with one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices), 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 4 cups beef broth, and 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.

Simmered soup without vegetables.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Frozen vegetables being poured into the pot of soup.

Add a 12oz. bag of frozen vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans), stir to combine and allow it to come back up to a simmer. Simmer the vegetables in the soup for about five more minutes.

Finished vegetable beef soup in the pot with a spoon.

Finally, taste the soup and add salt to your liking. The amount of salt needed will depend on the salt content of the broth you used, but you’ll likely need at least a little to help the flavors pop.

Side view of the pot of vegetable beef soup.

I garnished with a little chopped parsley for color, but it’s not needed for flavor. I do tend to put a little freshly cracked pepper or each bowl for a little extra pop, though!

Try These Other Easy Ground Beef Recipes:

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