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!
This soup is also keto friendly, low calorie, low carb and gluten free. It's comes together super fast using minimal ingredients and only one pot, so cleanup is a breeze.
Cooking for a crowd? You can easily double (or even triple) this recipe, just make sure your pot is big enough!
Jump to:
- More Creamy Soup Recipes
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Creamy Taco Soup
- Handy Tips
- Crock Pot Instructions
- Toppings For Creamy Taco Soup
- Sides For Chicken Taco Soup
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How To Thicken Taco Soup
- How To Store Leftovers
- More Healthy Taco Inspired Recipes
- Creamy Taco Soup (30 Minutes)
More Creamy Soup Recipes
I love this chicken gnocchi soup made with heavy cream! It's packed with flavor and so delicious. You also can't go wrong with some creamy white chicken chili, creamy ham and bean soup or cauliflower cheese soup with bacon!
Want a vegetarian option? I highly recommend this slow cooker potato soup, or wild rice soup for meatless Monday.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Olive oil: A high quality extra virgin olive oil is best. You can also substitute avocado oil.
Yellow onion: Dice it up and sauté in olive oil to create a delicious, flavorful base. White onion also works.
Rotel: Canned 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 and 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 the 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 Taco Soup
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Saute onion:
Measure olive oil into a large soup pot or Dutch oven on the stove top. Dice onion and sauté in oil, over medium heat, for 5-10 minutes.
Add mix-ins:
Add rotel, beans, taco seasonings, cilantro and cream cheese to the pot. Stir until well combined and cream cheese is fully melted.
Add broth and chicken:
Add broth and chicken breasts. Stir well and make sure that chicken is fully submerged. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Shred chicken:
Remove chicken, shred and return to the pot. Stir well and then ladle soup into serving bowls. Add all of your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
Handy Tips
- Shredded chicken: to save time, 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 chicken 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.
Crock Pot Instructions
Taco 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, except for cream cheese, and mix well.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. Remove chicken, shred and return to the crock pot. Add cream cheese and stir until fully melted, then serve!
Toppings For Creamy Taco Soup
Spruce up your cream cheese taco soup with some delicious toppings! I usually add diced avocado, tangy sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese (or a Mexican cheese blend) and some extra fresh chopped cilantro. Here are some other tasty ideas:
- Jalapeno slices, lime wedges, pico de gallo salsa, diced white or red onion, chopped green bell pepper, green onions or shredded lettuce.
- Crunchy tortilla strips, a crushed hard taco shell or salty tortilla chips!
Sides For Chicken Taco Soup
While this creamy white taco soup makes a great meal all by itself, sides can come in handy when you're having company over or your family is extra hungry.
- Warm tortillas are a great side for taco soup, I love rolling them up and dipping them in creamy broth! Use regular flour tortillas or these low-carb soft taco shells.
- Simple cheese quesadillas or chorizo quesadillas are tasty with taco soup. And just like plain tortillas, they're great for dipping.
- Serve with corn tortilla chips and homemade guacamole or queso dip.
- You can't go wrong with a nice soup and salad combination. I really enjoy serving this simple garden salad alongside any soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Total calories and carbs will depend on what you add to your soup. This particular recipe has about 13.5 net carbs and 395 calories per 15 ounce serving (toppings not included). For a lower calorie, lower carb soup use black soybeans, instead of regular black beans, and substitute reduced fat cream cheese!
Freezing creamy soup can be tricky as fats are likely to separate and take on a grainy texture when frozen. What you can do is make this soup without cream cheese, then add it later when reheating.
Refrigerate your soup in an airtight food-storage container for 3-5 days!
How To Thicken Taco Soup
If you want a thicker soup, there are several ways to accomplish this!
- Whisk a tablespoon of corn starch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir mixture into the hot soup. Allow it to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. The soup should begin to thicken after a few minutes.
- Drain and rinse an additional can of beans. Blend them up with a little water or broth and stir puree into the soup.
- Add more chicken, beans or rotel.
- Use less broth!
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerate: Let leftovers cool and pour them into an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-5 days and reheat in a pot on the stovetop, or use the microwave. Beans are absorbent, so this soup will thicken in the refrigerator. You can add water or broth when reheating, if necessary!
Freezer instructions: Creamy soup can turn grainy when frozen, so here's what I recommend: 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 frozen for 2-3 months.
Reheat straight from frozen or thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Warm your soup up in a pot on the stovetop, then stir in the cream cheese!
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
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Creamy Taco Soup (30 Minutes)
Equipment
- 1 Large soup pot
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, diced onion, pico salsa, jalapeno slices, avocado, lime wedge, 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. 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, many are not). Cream cheese: For a lower-calorie soup you can use reduced fat cream cheese, commonly labeled and referred to as Neufchatel cheese. Chicken: Save time and 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 super convenient to have on hand!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. Bring ingredients to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer soup 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.
Crockpot instructions:
- Sauté onion in a small pan and transfer to the crock pot. Add all other ingredients, except for cream cheese, and mix well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. Remove chicken, shred and return to the pot. Add cream cheese and stir until fully melted. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?!
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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!
Paula@SweetPea 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!
Elizabeth@pineconesandacorns 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!
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.
Victoria Kraemer says
This recipe looked absolutely delicious until you added the RAW chicken.
Garlic Salt & Lime says
The chicken will cook thoroughly in the broth and at that point you can take it out and shred it. You can add already cooked chicken if that's your preference!