Delicious, creamy taco soup is made with just ten simple ingredients. You'll only need one pot and 30 minutes to whip it up! The perfect, quick and easy dinner for a busy weeknight and something the whole family will love.
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You're going to love this amazing, healthy, Mexican inspired meal for so many reasons. It's zesty, spicy and loaded with super flavorful taco seasonings. Best of all?! It's made with cream cheese. YUM!
It's even keto-friendly, low calorie, low carb and gluten free.
Cooking for a crowd? You can easily double (or even TRIPLE) this recipe, just make sure your pot is big enough!
Jump to:
- Want more creamy soup recipes? Try these:
- Ingredients for creamy chicken taco soup:
- How to make creamy, low-carb taco soup:
- Handy Tips For This Recipe
- More Healthy Taco Inspired Recipes
- Crockpot Instructions
- Yummy Sides
- Tasty Toppings And Garnish
- How many calories and carbs are in creamy taco soup?
- How do you thicken taco soup?
- Can you freeze taco soup?
- How To Freeze Creamy Taco Soup:
- How long will creamy taco soup stay good?
- Creamy Taco Soup Recipe
Want more creamy soup recipes? Try these:
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- Creamy White Chili With Chicken
- Creamy Ham & Bean Soup
- Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Ingredients for creamy chicken taco soup:
Olive oil: a high quality extra virgin olive oil is best.
Yellow onion: dice it up and sauté in olive oil to create a delicious, flavorful base.
Rotel: diced tomato and green chilies! Use mild, original or hot depending on your preference for spice.
Beans: this recipe calls for black beans which are fairly low carb. For even fewer carbs you can substitute black soybeans which taste nearly identical to regular black beans when cooked into a soup or chili!
Taco seasonings: I use homemade taco seasoning in this soup! I highly recommend mixing up a batch to have on hand - it's very tasty. Don't feel like making your own taco seasoning? That's okay! You can use store bought (just be sure to select a gluten free brand if necessary, some are not).
Cilantro: fresh herbs are always a great way to add lots of extra flavor and color!
Cream cheese: reduced fat cream cheese will also work fine. I use low fat cream cheese fairly often to make this recipe lower in calories. Plus, I can't even taste a difference!
Broth: chicken or vegetable broth will both work nicely.
Lime juice: zest it up a bit!
Chicken: you can substitute ground beef, turkey or ground chicken. If you substitute ground meat, simply sauté it with onion and olive oil before adding remaining ingredients (rather than cooking it in the broth). Shredded beef is another tasty alternative!
How to make creamy, low-carb taco soup:
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Step 1: saute onion
Measure olive oil into a large pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Dice onion and sauté in oil, over medium heat, for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: melt cream cheese
Add rotel, beans, taco seasonings, cilantro & cream cheese to the pot. Stir until well combined and cream cheese is fully melted/incorporated.
Step 3: add broth & chicken
Add broth and chicken breasts. Stir well and make sure that chicken is fully submerged. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 4: shred chicken
Remove chicken, shred and return it to the pot. Stir well and then ladle soup into bowls. Add all of your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
Handy Tips For This Recipe
- Shredded chicken: to save a little time, you can buy pre-cooked and shredded chicken at the grocery store or use a rotisserie chicken. When you've got some extra time, try making shredded chicken in bulk and storing it in the freezer. It's nice to have extra on hand because it's so versatile.
- Like it hot? There are many ways to spice up this creamy taco soup! Use hot rotel (rather than original/mild) or mix in a small can of diced jalapeños. Try adding some red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper, hot chili powder or a dab of your favorite hot sauce.
More Healthy Taco Inspired Recipes
- Easy, Low Carb Taco Casserole
- Taco Salad Bowls With Shredded Chicken
- Chicken Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Beef Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Blackened Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
Crockpot Instructions
This soup can also be made in a slow cooker! Use a small frying pan to sauté onions on the stovetop and then transfer them to your crockpot. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. When soup is done cooking, remove chicken breasts, shred and return to the pot. And that's it - super simple!
Yummy Sides
Warm, low-carb soft taco shells are the perfect side for this soup! I like to roll and dip them in the creamy broth. Homemade guacamole and corn tortilla chips are also delicious accompaniments.
Tasty Toppings And Garnish
There are so many condiments that go great with taco soup. Try extra chopped cilantro, diced or sliced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, salsa or a wedge of lime!
How many calories and carbs are in creamy taco soup?
The amount of calories and carbs in taco soup will, of course, depend on what you add to it. This particular recipe has approximately 13.5 net carbs and 395 calories per serving (not including toppings). A serving is ⅕th of the recipe, or about 15 ounces.
For a lower calorie, lower carb soup use black soybeans (instead of regular black beans) and substitute reduced fat cream cheese!
How do you thicken taco soup?
If you want a thicker soup, there are several ways to accomplish this! Note that most of them will add some carbs, resulting in a less keto-friendly final product.
- Try adding more chicken, beans or rotel to the soup or use less broth!
- Drain and rinse an additional can of beans and blend them up with a little water or broth. Stir puree into the soup.
- Mix a tablespoon of gluten free flour or corn starch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir into the hot soup. Allow it to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, and soup should begin to thicken after a few minutes. Repeat this process until desired texture is reached.
Can you freeze taco soup?
Freezing creamy soup can be tricky! Fats are likely to separate and take on a grainy texture when frozen. What you can do is make this soup without cream cheese (and then add it later)!
How To Freeze Creamy Taco Soup:
- Prepare your soup without cream cheese and let it cool completely.
- Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and press to remove air (this will help prevent freezer burn).
- Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- When you're ready to eat your soup, let it thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a pot on the stovetop. Once fully warmed through, stir in your cream cheese!
How long will creamy taco soup stay good?
Refrigerate your soup in an airtight food-storage container for 3-5 days! Reheat in a pot on the stovetop or simply use the microwave. Beans can be fairly absorbent, so your soup with probably be a little thick after refrigerating. Add a bit of water or broth if desired!
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Creamy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion *diced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro *plus extra for topping (optional)
- 1 can black beans *drained & rinsed *see note below
- 1, 10 oz. can rotel
- ¼ cup taco seasoning *see note below
- 8 oz (1 cup) cream cheese *see note below
- 2 cans (or 3 & ¾ cups) chicken broth
- 1 small lime *juiced
- 2 medium chicken breasts *about 6 ounces each *see note below
Toppings
- Extra chopped cilantro, avocado, lime, sour cream, cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips
Recipe notes:
Black beans: pinto beans are also great in this recipe! For a keto-friendly soup, use black soybeans. They are very low carb and taste nearly identical to regular black beans when cooked into a soup or chili! Taco seasoning: I use homemade taco seasoning in this soup! I highly recommend mixing up a batch to have on hand - it's very tasty. Don't feel like making your own taco seasoning? That's okay! You can use store bought (just be sure to select a gluten free brand if necessary, some are not). Cream cheese: for a lower-calorie soup you can use reduced fat cream cheese (common labeled and referred to as Neufchatel cheese). Chicken: to save a little time, you can buy pre-cooked/shredded chicken at the grocery store or use a rotisserie chicken. When you've got some extra time, try making shredded chicken in bulk and storing it in the freezer. It's nice to have extra on hand because it's so versatile!Instructions
- Measure olive oil into a large pot on the stovetop and turn heat to medium. Dice onion and sauté in oil for 5-10 minutes, until translucent.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ½ medium yellow onion
- Add chopped cilantro, drained/rinsed black beans, rotel, taco seasonings and cream cheese to the pot. Stir until cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated.¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 can black beans, 1, 10 oz. can rotel, ¼ cup taco seasoning, 8 oz (1 cup) cream cheese
- Add broth, lime juice and chicken breasts. Stir well and make sure that chicken is fully submerged. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.2 cans (or 3 & ¾ cups) chicken broth, 2 medium chicken breasts, 1 small lime
- Remove chicken, shred and return it to the pot. Stir well and then ladle soup into bowls.
- Add desired toppings and enjoy!
How to store leftovers:
- Allow extra soup to cool and place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?!
Wahoo! Thank you so much for trying it out – would you leave a rating?! Simply click on the stars in the recipe card above.
Juliet says
I’ll take tacos in any form. Looks delish! xo
stacey_olson says
Thank you, Juliet!
Marie says
I should not be hungry at this time of night, but this looks so yummy. I would eat it now if a bowl was in front of me 🙂
stacey_olson says
Oh I completely agree!
[email protected] says
This soup sounds incredible. I can't wait to try it.
stacey_olson says
Thank you, Paula!
Rosemary Palmer says
My taco soup isn't creamy like this so think I'll give it a try. Creamy soups just seem more filling.
stacey_olson says
I agree that they are definitely more filling! Thanks, Rosemary!
[email protected] says
Stacey this looks delicious! I have added this to my list to make!
stacey_olson says
Woohoo! Thank you, Elizabeth!
Tammg says
Stacey, this is my favorite soup. I made it last night for dinner. Perfect for WW diet too. Thank you for giving me so more recipe ideas.
stacey_olson says
Yay! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks, Tammy. <3
Cindy Rust says
Mexican heaven in a pot! I love all food Mexican and this one looks so good! Rotel is going into my grocery app right now! Thanks, Stacey - pinned!
stacey_olson says
Thank you so much, Cindy! It's so delicious, easy and healthy. Hope you enjoy!!
Leslie Watkins says
Can’t wait to give this one a try! Pinned and pinned the seasoning! I missed that one! Happy New Year!
stacey_olson says
Woohoo! Thank you, friend!
Libbie Burling says
This looks so good! I am sending hubby to the store first thing tomorrow. Pinned.
Renae says
Yummy! I’m definitely going to try this.
stacey_olson says
Thank you, Renae!
Rachel - Tea and Forget-me-nots says
Ooh yum, that’s going on the to-make list!
Cindy says
You shared another great recipe.
This is the time of year for soup
stacey_olson says
Thank you, Cindy!
stacey_olson says
Thank you, Rachel!
Lynne Zemaitis says
Warm soup is perfect for a winter meal and this looks so amazing! I can't wait to give this recipe a try!
stacey_olson says
Totally! All I want when it's cold is hot soup! Thanks, Lynne.
Bebecca says
I'm one of the few that actually made this soup and it was so good. I doubled it for leftovers for after work this week. I made it pretty much by the recipe (doubled), my grocery didn't have black soy beans so I bought regular black beans. I didn't double the cream cheese and it was the perfect consistency. Of course I'm happy for any opportunity to have avocado. So glad to have a new soup.
Garlic Salt & Lime says
Thank you so much for your rating and review! I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. I like your idea of doubling everything but the cream cheese!
Nichole says
Love it. My only complaint is there are big cans and little cans of Rotel and I didn't know which one. And I have a giant box of chicken broth so hadto guess on how much 2 cans was.
Garlic Salt & Lime says
Ooooo, thanks for this feedback! I really appreciate it and will update the recipe card to clarify.