30 Minute Taco Soup

With the help of taco seasoning, canned beans and corn, and some leftover rice, 30 Minute Taco Soup comes together quickly and easily. Make it even better by topping it with cheese, and sour cream!

This dish is all about taking it easy and making good use of a few shortcuts. 30-Minute Taco Soup is literally prepared with leftover rice and a few canned goods. It’s a quick and easy soup recipe for the busy family. And, it tastes like you spent a small fortune and blew the whole day simmering a pot of soup.

I could lie to you and pretend to be pretentious by swearing that as a food blogger, I don’t use canned goods. Furthermore, I could tell you that my pantry is void of any store-bought, prepared foods and that I make all of my recipes from scratch. But, I’m not going to do that.

Even though my blog has changed in many ways over the years, the one thing that remains constant is that my recipes are designed to be homestyle. They are meant to be delicious and easy. Very few of my recipes require special equipment or skill. And, lastly, they are either completely inexpensive or at least as budget-friendly as possible.

And, that, Dear Reader, is exactly why 30 Minute Taco Soup is a perfect recipe for Lord Byron’s Kitchen. It aligns well with some of my other 30 Minute recipes such as my 30 Minute Butternut Squash Soup, my 30 Minute Ginger Beef, and my 30 Minute Black Bean Corn and Rice Skillet.

IT’S VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN TOO!

I’m neither vegan nor vegetarian, which is why all of the pictures you see here have shredded cheese and a spoonful of sour cream in them. I will prepare a whole pot of the soup without any of those things and then just serve it up with little bowls of toppings on the table.

Cheese obviously pairs very well with tacos. If you’re vegan, you can most certainly use soy-based cheese instead. Many vegetarians, just like John.e, only consume certain brands of cheese, because some cheese contains rennet. Be aware of that when buying cheese.

You can also find vegan sour cream in most specialty stores. In fact, most common or popular grocery stores carry many vegan alternatives already, so they might not be too hard to find. If it is, make your own vegan sour cream!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Canned Beans – I used both black beans and kidney beans. You can use just one of those if you prefer. In fact, you can use other canned beans too, such as navy beans. Just remember, you’ll need a total of 30 ounces, which is usually two cans.
• Canned Corn – One 15-ounce can will do it. Be sure to drain well.
• Tomato Sauce – A can of tomato sauce is going to get that great colour and also help thicken the broth.
• Salsa – Yes! Just a plain jar of salsa will provide the garlic, onion, and diced tomatoes. Depending on the brand, you might get bell peppers too. I used my homemade salsa. It has jalapenos in it, so I got a little heat in my soup.
• Cooked Rice – We always have leftover cooked rice in the fridge just because it can be used throughout the week in so many recipes. It is best if the rice has been cooked the day before and refrigerated.
• Taco Seasoning – No salt and pepper is needed. Taco seasoning has all you need. Plus, most canned beans and sauces have sodium already. Just taste before you serve and add a bit of salt if needed.

HOW TO MAKE 30 MINUTE TACO SOUP

Making this soup couldn’t get any easier! This was a one-pot soup. And, most of the ingredients go into the pot at the same time. It’s basically a matter of bringing it all to a boil and then letting it simmer. Let me give you the details.

Over medium-high heat, add the following ingredients to a heavy-bottomed soup pot: black beans and kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning, and water. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. The soup should come to a boil in about five minutes. Reduce the heat to simmer, place a lid on the pot, and allow the soup to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes to heat through the rice. Taste soup and season if needed. Serve immediately.

FREEZING AND RE-HEATING LEFTOVERS

Once the soup is completely cooled, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers. Make sure your containers have a tight-fitting lid. The soup will keep fresh-tasting in the freezer for up to three months. This is why a tight lid/seal is so important. You want to keep the freezer burn out!

I like to take the frozen soup out of the freezer and place it on the lowest shelf in my fridge. That is if I remember to take it out before I head off to work. Otherwise, I place it in the sink and let it thaw there for a few hours. I keep it in the sink so that the condensation doesn’t get my countertop wet!

When it comes time to reheat, you have two options. If the previously frozen soup is completely thawed, you can simply microwave it until it’s hot. Otherwise, empty the soup into a small saucepan and simmer until heated through on medium-low heat.

It’s important to note that when you reheat frozen soup which has rice in it, the rice tends to break down a bit. It will seem overcooked, but it’s still delicious.