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Turkey Taco Soup

Turkey taco soup made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, a golden toasted cumin broth, and hearty beans and corn. Simmered until flavorful and finished with crunchy corn chips on top for contrast.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 3 cup shredded leftover turkey Use leftover turkey; add at the end to stay tender.
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drain and rinse if desired.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drain if using canned corn.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup turkey or chicken broth
  • 1 Corn chips, for serving Crush right before serving for crunch.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Toast cumin and sauté aromatics
  1. Add the ground cumin to a pot and toast for 30 seconds over medium heat, stirring until fragrant and slightly golden (visual cue: it darkens just a shade).
  2. Add the diced onion to the same pot and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally (visual cue: translucent edges).
Simmer the soup
  1. Stir in the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and turkey or chicken broth until evenly combined (visual cue: red-brown liquid with visible beans and corn).
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice (visual cue: small bubbles around the edges, thickening slightly).
Finish and serve
  1. Add the shredded turkey and cook until heated through for 2 minutes, stirring gently (visual cue: turkey warms and doesn’t look dry).
  2. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with crushed corn chips right before eating (visual cue: chips sit on top and stay crisp).

Notes

Pro tip: Add the shredded turkey right at the end so it stays tender and doesn’t dry out. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Freezing is not ideal because the corn chips soften after thawing—freeze the soup without chips and add fresh chips when serving. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium taco seasoning and broth.