Go Back

Santa Fe Taco Soup

Santa Fe taco soup is a hearty Tex-Mex main dish simmered until the flavors meld, with shredded chicken, black beans, and sweet corn. Finish it with creamy sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime, and crispy tortilla strips for that classic Southwestern bowl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and soup base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained.
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Santa Fe toppings
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 avocado Diced.
  • 1 cotija cheese Crumbled.
  • 1 cilantro Fresh, chopped.
  • 1 lime wedges
  • 1 tortilla strips Crispy.
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the taco soup
  1. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced green chiles, Rotel tomatoes, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, chicken broth, cumin, and smoked paprika to a large pot.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until hot and blended.
  3. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then stir well to distribute the seasoning.
Serve with toppings
  1. Ladle the hot Santa Fe taco soup into bowls and top each serving with sour cream, diced avocado, crumbled cotija, and fresh cilantro.
  2. Add lime wedges and crispy tortilla strips on top right before eating for best crunch.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer just long enough to marry flavors (15 minutes) and keep the texture hearty. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or microwave until steaming. Freezing is not recommended because toppings like avocado and sour cream change texture after thawing. For a lighter option, swap the ranch dressing mix for a lower-sodium ranch seasoning packet and use reduced-sodium chicken broth.