Turkey Taco Soup Recipe — Quick & Easy!

This turkey Taco Soup recipe is a quick and easy meal that can be on the table in 20 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner!

Skip complex recipes for taco soup that require cans of tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. There's no need for long ingredient lists or intensive chopping with this easy taco soup recipe!

💛 Why This Is The Best Recipe

My recipe for turkey Taco Soup is the very best recipe because:

1. Beyond Simple: You'll never go back after trying this soup shortcut!
2. Quick Weeknight Dinner: This simple ground turkey soup can be whipped together in 20 minutes and is a complete meal.
3. Rich in Flavor: Despite the short ingredient list, this soup has robust flavor.
4. Convenient: Prep the soup when you have time and serve it later.
5. Freezer-Friendly: Double the recipe and have another weeknight meal saved for a busy day.

🌮 What's in Taco Soup?

It's like chili's cousin, loaded with all the best taco-style ingredients. All you need to make it is:

• Chicken Stock: Vegetable and beef broth work as well
• Jar of Marinara: This is the secret time-saving ingredient
• Fresh Cut Salsa: Find it in the deli fridge section
• DIY Taco Seasoning: Made from cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes that you already own — no special season pack required
• Bell Peppers & Spinach: Make it healthy
• Black Beans: Pinto beans work great too
• Cooked Ground Turkey: Or leftover taco meat!

See recipe card for quantities.

This flexible soup recipe is perfect for giving leftovers a "making over." Be sure to check out the Substitutions & Variations section below for more ideas.

⏱ The Simple Soup Base Saves Time

You're going to be shocked by how fast this simple taco soup recipe can be thrown together!

The soup base is the secret to the simplicity. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Using marinara ensures your turkey taco soup is perfectly seasoned.

Fresh cut salsa from the refrigerated section of the deli will save you shopping and chopping time.

Take off the lid and you've instantly got diced tomatoes, onion,  jalapeño peppers, and cilantro! Fresh cut salsa makes the soup flavor "bright" and fresh.

🥄 How To Make Stovetop Taco Soup With Ground Turkey

Start the soup base by mixing together the marinara and fresh cut salsa.

After that, add the chicken broth. You're finished.

It's is that easy!

Variation: If you or your family prefers a thinner soup consistency, simply add more broth!

Simmer the soup base on low heat and chop the bell peppers.

A "larger than average" diced pepper gives the taco soup great flavor and a hearty texture.

There's no need to sauté the peppers. Throw them in and stir!

Next, give your taco soup a bit of "heat."

Skip the taco seasoning pack. A simple 2:1 ratio of cumin and chili powder gives the soup that yummy taco flavor.

Optional: Crushed red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper provide extra zing.

Add the cooked ground turkey to the taco soup and stir.

We make this healthy soup with ground turkey instead of beef, but both are delicious!

Open the black beans and rinse them well.

The best taco soup recipes call for black beans or pinto beans. Be gentle as you mix them in!

Is taco soup healthy? The principles of intuitive eating remind us that every component of a recipe serves our body and mind in some way.

Enhance your healthy taco soup further by adding nutrient-rich spinach.

Dice the spinach before adding it to the soup. Small baby spinach stems are tender so there is no need to remove them.

Time Saving Tip: Skip the cutting board and use scissors!

Spinach add nutrients to the turkey taco soup and a gorgeous burst of green.

Studies show that how food looks alters the perception of taste, smell, and flavor. In other words, we eat with our eyes first.

Yum! The added fresh spinach instantly makes the soup look appealing.

Gently stir in the spinach and serve!

That's it, my friend. You're done.

🍴A Soup That Eats Like A Meal

The best part about this one pot recipe is that it is complete weeknight meal — just as it is — in 20 minutes.

On a hectic day, you can serve this soup on it’s own without anything else! It's got protein, carbohydrates, and veggies all in one pot.

🥣 Turkey Taco Soup Toppings (Optional)

What goes IN taco turkey soup makes it a complete balanced meal, but mixing and matching what goes on top makes it fun.

If you are feeling festive, try these toppings:

• Tortilla Chips: Give this ground turkey taco soup a playful CRUNCH by serving it with tortilla chips — or add crushed chips or tortilla strips directly on top!
• Cheese: A good sharp cheddar shredded is delicious and queso blanco can be fun too!
• Hot Sauce: For those looking for more heat, hot sauce or cayenne will kick it up a notch.
• Sour Cream: If it is too hot for others, a dollop of sour cream helps.
• Chopped Green Onions: Use your kitchen scissors to quickly chop them up.
• Fresh Lime Wedges: Fresh citrus enhances spicy foods like this!
• Fresh Cilantro: The perfect garnish and flavor addition for this turkey taco soup recipe.

🍲 Soup Variations & Substitutions

Taco soup is totally customizable! Here are a few tips and variation options to help ensure this taco soup recipe is a success at your house:

• Beef Taco Soup: If you have leftover sloppy joes or beef taco meat, use it! Beef broth is also an excellent substitution for a deeper richness.
• Turkey Taco Chili Soup: If you only have kidney beans in your pantry, that's ok. Add them instead and you've got taco chili.
• Spicy Taco Soup: Turn up the heat. Switch to hot salsa or add a can of diced green chiles, a sprinkle of cayenne, or a few dashes of hot sauce to make the soup spicier.
• Bean-Free Taco Soup: If you don't like beans, don't add them. This taco bean soup is ironically ah-mazing without them. Add more ground meat if you want to keep the same hearty consistency!
• No-Prep Taco Soup: Skip the fresh peppers and add Newman's Own Sockarooni Pasta Sauce to get that same delicious flavor without any dicing.
• Vegetarian Taco Soup: Make vegetarian soup by skipping the ground turkey, adding a can of pinto means, and using vegetable broth.

Have fun playing with what you have in your pantry and substitute ingredients.

⏰ Make Ahead Tips

The best "make ahead tip" is to couple this soup with another dinner recipe that uses ground turkey. Cook the meat all at once and reserve half for this soup.

This cook forward approach will save you time with any soup recipes with ground turkey.

You could also use sloppy joe leftovers for this recipe. Taco turkey soup is a perfect way to upcycle it into something new! I sometimes joke that that this should be called "leftover taco meat soup."

❄️ Freezer Tips

You can make the turkey taco soup ahead of time and freeze it for later.

Let your soup cool for at least an hour, then store in an airtight container.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in a pot on the stove or in a slow cooker. Add additional broth, if needed.

The soup freezes well for up to 6 months!

Hint: If you freeze it in smaller portions, you can reheat a single-serving in a bowl for an impromptu lunch.

🥘 Crock Pot Instructions

Throw everything together for Slow Cooker Taco Soup and have an amazing dinner waiting for you later in the day. tir in freshly diced spinach before serving.

1. Add the cooked ground turkey, broth, marinara, fresh cut salsa, taco spices and stir.
2. Set to low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
3. Gently stir in the rinsed black beans.
4. Let the soup heat through for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in freshly diced baby spinach.

Serve and enjoy!

⏲ Instant Pot Instructions

Instant Pot Taco Soup will save you time and dishes, especially if you don't have pre-cooked ground turkey.

1. Use the Sauté setting to cook the ground turkey, if needed!
2. Add the broth, marinara, fresh cut salsa, taco spices and stir.
3. Seal and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
4. Quick release to gently stir in the rinsed black beans and let heat through for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in freshly diced baby spinach.

Serve and enjoy!

🖨 Printable Stovetop Recipe:

Turkey Taco Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This quick and easy ground turkey taco soup recipe is an easy, complete meal that can be on the table in 20 minutes. This freezer-friendly soup is a perfect weeknight dinner!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 (23.5 oz) jar of marinara
• 1 (16 oz) container of fresh cut salsa
• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
• Crushed black pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup (8 oz) cooked ground turkey
• 2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed
• ½ cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

🌮 For Serving (Optional)

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Freshly chopped cilantro
• Tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Place a soup pot on a stovetop burner over medium-high heat.
2. Add the marinara, salsa, and chicken broth to the pot, stir in the diced bell peppers.

1. Sprinkle the cumin and chili powder into the soup base, add the crushed red pepper and black pepper.
2. Add the turkey to the pot and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the soup for 10 minutes.
4. Pour in the rinsed black beans and gently stir. Let it heat through for 5 minutes.
5. Add the enchilada sauce and chicken broth and stir.
6. Add the freshly chopped spinach to the pot and stir. Serve immediately.

Notes

Top individual soup bowls with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, and serve with tortilla chips, if desired.

❄️ Freezer Tips

Let your soup cool for at least an hour, then store in an airtight container. The soup freezes well for up to 6 months! To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in a pot on the stove. Add additional broth, if needed.

⏰ INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use the Sauté setting to cook the ground turkey, if needed!
2. Add the broth, marinara, fresh cut salsa, taco spices and stir.
3. Seal and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
4. Quick release to gently stir in the rinsed black beans and let heat through for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in freshly diced baby spinach.

🥘 CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the cooked ground turkey, broth, marinara, fresh cut salsa, taco spices and stir.
2. Set to low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
3. Gently stir in the rinsed black beans.
4. Let the soup heat through for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in freshly diced baby spinach.