This creamy keto taco soup is quick and easy to make, hearty, and full of flavor. It may be low in carbs - and gluten free! - but it's a delicious recipe the whole family will love!
It’s been great for finally getting around to posting some recipes I developed and photographed ages ago- and that’s the case with this creamy keto taco soup.
We shot this recipe in March of 2022, specifically. Yikes. Way to procrastinate, eh?
Anyway, I’ve been a big fan of making soup recipes themed on other foods for a while - Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Soup, Keto Pierogi Soup... a few more I still haven’t blogged yet... that kind of thing.
This creamy taco soup has all of the flavour of those meals, but as a won-pot meal that takes WAY less effort than making taco shells.
It’s a creamy cheese soup, loaded with fresh veggies and ground meat, and spiced up with a homemade keto taco seasoning.
It may be a gluten free, keto friendly taco soup, but it’s one that the whole family will love. Nothing about it feels like it’s intended for a restricted diet!
On that note...
Nutritional Info
As with all of my keto recipes, the big thing for me is the net carb count.
When it comes to this easy taco soup recipe, there are 8 grams of carbs in each bowl of soup.
After deducting the fiber, you’re left with 6 g net carbs - perfect for anyone on a keto diet!
Note: Nutritional information does not include toppings.
Ingredients
This recipe uses really simple ingredients - you won’t have any difficulty finding them in your local grocery store.
Some notes for you:
Ground Meat
If it’s just for me, I make this cheesy keto taco soup with ground beef - I do prefer beef tacos to chicken tacos, after all!
That said, I usually end up using ground chicken, and making a keto chicken taco soup. Ground turkey also works well, especially if you’re looking to lower the fat content a bit.
Broth
If I’m doing a beef taco soup, I use beef broth.
When I’m using ground poultry, I’ll use chicken broth / chicken stock - it’s all good.
As a note, I do use the reduced sodium version of whatever broth I’m using.
This is particularly important if you sub out the individual spices with a store bought taco seasoning.
Produce
For a dish based on a typically “junk food” kind of recipe, this low-carb soup uses a fair amount of fresh veggies:
Diced tomatoes (Roma, ideally)
Green bell pepper
Jalapeno
Onion
Garlic cloves.
Feel free to substitute your favorite green chilies for that jalapeno - I just went with the one that’s most easily accessible here, year round!
Dairy
I use two kinds of cheese in this recipe : Cream cheese and cheddar cheese - generally sharp cheddar cheese / old cheddar.
You can substitute Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese for the cheddar if you like.
If you’d like this to be a bit closer to actual Mexican food, feel free to substitute your favorite Mexican cheese - just pick a type that melts well!
Spices
I use a custom blend of spices as a homemade taco seasoning in this delicious keto soup. It’s just the seasonings I want, with no filler.
I always prefer flavoring spicy food with individual spices - much better control over the flavour of the finished dish!
For this keto soup recipe, I use:
Smoked Paprika
Chili Powder
Smoked Serrano Powder
Ground Cumin
Dried Oregano
If you don’t have smoked Serrano on hand, you can substitue Cayenne Pepper.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Olive oil
Xanthan Gum
Salt and pepper
... that’s it!
Garnishes are always fun!
Garnishes
Half the fun in serving up a bowl of this delicious keto taco soup is garnishing it with your favorite taco toppings!
My favorite toppings include:
Chopped tomato
Chopped avocado
Shredded cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced jalapeno or other green chiles
Finely chopped red onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sliced green onions
Sour cream
You can even crush up some Keto Tortilla Chips, if you like!
How to Make Keto Taco Soup
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
I like to get all of the ingredients measured out and prepped before starting.
This soup whips up QUICKLY, so you don’t want to be fussing with getting ingredients ready for the next step, as you go.
Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Once browned, drain excess grease, if applicable. Add green pepper, onion, jalapeno pepper (if using), and garlic, continue cooking until vegetables start to soften.
Sprinkle in the chili powder, smoked paprika, smoked serrano, cumin, and dried oregano, cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
Dump in the chopped tomatoes, stir well to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes.
As the soup is cooking, sprinkle xanthan gum over the cheese, gently tossing to distribute it over the cheese shreds. This will prevent clumping.
Finally, add broth a little at a time, stirring to smoothly to allow the cheeses, broth, and juices from the vegetables to combine into a smooth soup base.
Serve hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream and whatever optional toppings you like.
Leftovers
Once cooled to almost room temperature, leftover low carb taco soup can be put in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Keto Soups & Stews
Looking for some more keto recipes for low carb soup and stew? I've got you...
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Beef Stew
Chicken and Cabbage Soup
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Clam Chowder
Doro Wat
Easy Ramen
Fennel Chicken Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Loaded Pierogi Soup
Steak and Kidney Stew
But wait, there's more! Keep an eye on my Keto Soups and Stews section for new recipes!
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my latest recipes, or any of my other nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and drop us a line in the comment section! (Sharing the post on social media is always appreciated, too!)
Easy Creamy Keto Taco Soup Recipe [Gluten-Free]
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Box grater
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 lb Ground beef or ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Green bell pepper chopped
- ½ Onion chopped
- ½ - 1 Jalapeno pepper finely chopped (optional)
- 3 Garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Serrano powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano
- 4 oz Cream cheese softened
- 3 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan gum
- 2 cups Low sodium beef broth
Toppings:
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped Avocado
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Thinly sliced jalapeno
- Sliced green onions
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a medium pot, brown ground meat in olive oil over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Once browned, add bell pepper, onion, jalapeno pepper (if using), and garlic, continue cooking until vegetables start to soften.
- Add chili powder, smoked paprika, smoked serrano, cumin, and dried oregano, cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
- Add cream cheese to the pot, breaking it up to allow it to thoroughly melt and smoothly coat the other ingredients.
- Add chopped tomatoes, stir well to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- As the soup is cooking, sprinkle xanthan gum over the cheese, gently tossing to distribute it over the cheese shreds. This will prevent clumping.
- Add cheese to the soup, stirring well to combine and melt.
- Finally, add broth a little at a time, stirring to smoothly to allow the cheeses, broth, and juices from the vegetables to combine into a smooth soup base.
- Bring to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot, topped with optional toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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