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I’m pretty sure that mother nature has forgotten what season it is. It’s April, and here we are, the day after a whirling snowstorm. Sigh. At least it’s a perfect excuse to make my low carb taco soup recipe with ranch dressing. This keto taco soup is my go-to when I want comfort food warm-bowl-of-soup form.
Say what? Easy taco soup with ranch dressing? Yep, that’s right. I’ve combined my favorite taco seasoning recipe and my go-to ranch dressing recipe to create the ultimate keto taco soup!
After sharing the taco seasoning last weekend, I couldn’t wait to share this easy taco soup with you, too. You’re going to love it. (And once you try this one, make keto chicken tortilla soup or taco salad.)
Basic Low Carb Taco Soup Ingredients
I’m sure there are plenty of variations for simple taco soup. My version needs only five ingredients, so yay for that!
Here is all you need for this easy keto taco soup recipe:
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- Beef bone broth (or any broth you want!)
- Diced tomatoes
- Ranch dressing
Now, don’t go yelling at me about the fact that two of the ingredients are taco seasoning and ranch dressing. Yes, I realize that each of these has multiple ingredients in itself.
But, both of these are staples that you can make in advance and use for multiple purposes. It’s not like you have to go make them each time you want low carb taco soup. Worst case, each of them takes about 5 minutes to throw together (mix and you’re done!).
And once you try them in this paleo taco soup, I hope you’ll see why I love them so much!
Options for Paleo Keto Taco Soup
There are plenty of options to customize your low carb taco soup.
Types of Broth
Let’s start with bone broth. I use beef bone broth to match the ground beef in the soup and get the benefits of collagen in there.
But, feel free to use regular beef broth if you want to. Even chicken broth would be fine if that’s what you have.
Tomatoes for the Best Keto Taco Soup
Next up, diced tomatoes! I used the regular kind, but I’ll bet fire roasted tomatoes would be delicious, too.
There are a couple of options if you like an extra kick in your paleo taco soup. Try diced tomatoes with green chiles are another option. Or if you have a jar of salsa, that’s another great idea!
Tomatoes are slightly higher in carbs than some other veggies, but still fit reasonably into a keto taco soup.
Easy Taco Soup Toppings
What toppings to put on taco soup? I like shredded cheddar cheese (omit for paleo taco soup) and cilantro. Avocado is delicious, too. Feel free to add anything you’d put on tacos!
Taco Seasoning & Ranch Dressing
As mentioned before I use my favorite homemade taco seasoning and ranch dressing for this recipe. But, you don’t have to! If you’d rather use store bought varieties, feel free. Any kind will do.
You can even add them to taste if you’d like to adjust the heat or creaminess. Plenty of flexibility here.
Dairy-free, Paleo or Whole30 Taco Soup
What if you want a dairy-free, whole30 or paleo taco soup? That’s easy to do. Simply use a ranch dressing that will work for these dietary restrictions. I like this one.
Of course, you’d skip the cheese topping in this case, too. You can still add other yummy toppings like avocado and cilantro.
How To Make Taco Soup On The Stove
Like with any low carb soup recipe, I was on the fence about choosing the cooking method. Keto taco soup on the stove, in a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker?
Ultimately, I picked the stove for simplicity. I did the same for my easy broccoli cheese soup, and that is a huge reader favorite, so I figured you can’t go wrong there.
So, how do you make taco soup on the stove? All you need is one pot and 20 minutes.
Here’s how to make keto taco soup:
- Brown the ground beef in the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. It will take about 7-10 minutes. You can drain it afterward if you want to, but it’s not required.
- Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and some broth, and simmer until most of it absorbs into the meat. This is essentially transforming the meat into taco meat.
- Add more broth, diced tomatoes, and more taco seasoning. Simmer it for another ten minutes or so, maybe even a bit less. Remove from heat and wait a couple minutes.
- Add the ranch dressing. The reason we wait a couple of minutes first is to avoid curdling the dressing.
How To Make Taco Soup In A Crock Pot Or Instant Pot
If you want to make Crock Pot low carb taco soup, or if you prefer the Instant Pot, you can.
- For the Crock Pot: Just brown the meat the same way as the stove method, and finish in the slow cooker.
- For the Instant Pot: You can do the entire process in the pressure cooker. Either way, make sure you add the ranch dressing at the end, without any heat.
There you go. Now grab your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
If you’re having the winter blues like me (in April!), I hope this easy taco soup recipe with ranch dressing will help you make it through these next couple weeks. I’m sure spring will finally get here eventually…
Tools To Make Taco Soup
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Stock Pot – This stock pot is a great size for large family meals, seafood boils, or a whole chicken for making homemade chicken broth. It also happens to be perfect for this low carb taco soup.
- Crock Pot – A ‘set it and forget it’ method of cooking that delivers rich and developed flavors that only happen with long cook times.
- Instant Pot – This appliance pulls double duty as both a slow cooker and pressure cooker. You can use either function with this keto taco soup recipe and it will turn out fantastic.
- Meat Chopper – Useful for breaking up whole tomatoes and ground beef, this meat chopper is an ideal tool for this easy taco soup.
Easy Low Carb Keto Taco Soup Recipe
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers that made this also viewed these recipes:
Easy Keto Low Carb Taco Soup Recipe
See how to make taco soup on the stove - it takes only 20 minutes + 5 ingredients! The whole family will love this easy low carb taco soup recipe with ranch dressing. It's so rich and flavorful, no one will guess it's keto taco soup.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef for about 7-10 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain if desired.
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Add 2 tablespoons (28 g) taco seasoning (2/3 of the total amount) and 3/4 cup (177 mL) of broth. Simmer for a couple of minutes, until the liquid is mostly gone.
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Add the remaining broth, diced tomatoes (with liquid), and remaining tablespoon of taco seasoning. Stir together. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
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Remove from heat. Wait 2 minutes, then stir in the ranch dressing. If desired, garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
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88 Comments
Chris
How cool does it have to be before adding ranch dressing?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Chris, Allow the soup to cool for 2 minutes before adding the ranch dressing.
Vicky
We tried your Taco soup today and absolutely loved it. I used some taco meat I had leftover with onions and peppers, it was already seasoned, wasn’t sure about the ranch dressing but took a chance, heavenly! At the end, I toasted a carb balance tortilla cut in small strips with Mexican cheese on top. Great recipe! Yum is right!
Jaimie
This recipe was so fast and easy! I made it last night, fully in my Instant Pot. I used shredded chicken instead of beef because it’s what I had on hand and it was tasty! We added some diced avocado on top and even our picky 13-year old wanted more.
NomadNan
I just did something similar on the road today while traveling. I have a HotLogic Mini, so I can “cook” meals on the road as I drive. I used pre-cooked & seasoned ground bison, a little salsa (no sugar!!!!), & a small package of cheddar Whisps, smashed. Tasted pretty good at the end of 400 miles!
Karen
I have not tried the recipes yet, just found your site and so excited to get started. I love Mexican food so will be trying those recipes first! Thank you so much!!!!
June Kuitert
Can you add 1 can of red beans and still be Keto?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi June, Red beans are not considered keto, but it is a personal choice based on how many carbs you eat in a day.
Sandra
I added Rotel tomatoes to this dish in addition to the diced tomatoes. Also, I could not believe that there was not a suggestion to top not only with cilantro and cheese but sour cream dollop and avocado slices or chunks. That’s the way we make it in Texas and so that’s how I’m topping tonight.
Rene Dale
What ranch dressing ,dry season ingredients or bottled dressing?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rene, The link in the recipe card takes you to my recipe for ranch salad dressing, but you can use bottled if you prefer.