Flash forward to years later, and now Skinny Taco Soup is our family’s go-to taco soup recipe. I know there are a lot of taco soup recipes out there that claim they are the world’s best and so life-changing, but I think this is the only one you need. It makes a lot and they are always asking me to bring it to family events. Even in the summer time. I have never tried a better taco soup recipe and I don’t think I ever will. It is so easy, hearty, and delicious. The best part is that it is good for you! I can eat an entire cup for 265 calories (I added up every ingredient)! And it fills me up! I crave this soup. Definitely my favorite soup ever!

Ingredients to Make Taco Soup:

• Ground lean turkey meat: I love when I find a recipe that I can use ground turkey meat! It is so low calorie and low fat while still high protein!!
• Diced tomatoes: I used the fire roasted
• Taco seasoning: For more flavor I like to add 2 packets!
• Tomato soup: The comforting tomato flavors give a creamy base to this taco soup.
• Dark kidney beans: An excellent plant-based source of protein that some say may aid in weight loss. Yes please!
• Sliced olives: These salty and tangy olives add flavor, but if you don’t love them you can definitely leave them out!
• Corn: The corn gives this turkey soup a hint of sweetness.

Optional Ingredients:

• Jalapeno – if you want to make it mild I’ve also made it with 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper instead.
• Green chilies – Similar flavors to jalapeno, but more mild.
• Dry ranch dressing mix – Most dry ranch packets include flavors from onion powder, onion flakes, dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper and dried chives. So, it will add a lot of flavor to your soup if you choose to add it.
• Canned black beans and pinto beans – When I don’t have pinto beans I use great northern beans. Or you could just use 2 cans of black beans.

The Recipe Critic Pro Tip:

• Add an extra packet of taco seasoning to make it extra taco-y!
• Do not add the water from the tomato soup can if you are like me and enjoy your soup a little thicker. If you want it more runny, add the water.
• Be sure to drain and rinse beans so soup isn’t overly salty.
• When I cook soups with ground turkey, I like to give it an extra flavor and color boost by adding the spices before I add the turkey to the rest of the soup ingredients.
• First, I cook the turkey and diced onions in a large skillet until done, breaking it up with a fork to make sure there are no large clumps of meat. Then I sprinkle the meat mixture with my spices and then cook and stir for another three to four minutes.
• The chili powder, paprika, and black pepper especially work to give the meat a nice, rich color so you can fake out the family—they’ll never guess that it’s turkey instead of beef!