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Santa Fe Taco Soup

Santa Fe taco soup with a savory, Southwestern-style broth is simmered until the flavors meld—loaded with black beans, corn, green chiles, and shredded chicken. Serve it with sour cream, avocado, cotija, cilantro, lime, and crunchy tortilla strips for a hearty bowl meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken 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
Seasoning
  • 0.25 salt To taste
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste
Santa Fe toppings
  • 0.25 sour cream
  • 1 medium avocado Diced
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese Crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cilantro Fresh
  • 1 lime lime wedges
  • 1 cup tortilla strips Crispy

Method
 

Build the soup
  1. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced green chiles, both tomatoes, both seasoning packets, chicken broth, cumin, and smoked paprika to a large pot.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve with toppings
  1. Ladle the taco soup into bowls.
  2. Top each bowl with sour cream, diced avocado, crumbled cotija, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and crispy tortilla strips.

Notes

For thicker texture, simmer uncovered for the full 15 minutes; for a thinner broth, add an extra splash of chicken broth. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days—keep toppings separate and add them when reheating. Freezing is yes for the soup base (up to 2 months), but thaw and reheat, then add fresh toppings. For a dairy-free option, use dairy-free sour cream and omit the cotija or replace with a dairy-free crumble.