This is the recipe that I almost forgot to share with you. I make it so frequently that I have it completely memorized, and I didn’t really think much of it being a recipe until house guests repeatedly asked for it. Taco soup is something that I make when I just can’t seem to get my life together and sit down to eat a proper lunch. When I’ve had one too many crazy weeks in a row, I vow to be better the following week. I make a big batch of this Instant Pot Taco Soup, and enjoy it for lunch all week long. If I can remember to serve it over brown rice, even better! I make everything in one pot, and I always seem to have all of the ingredients on hand.
For Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe:
Gather up ground turkey (or beef), black beans, corn, tomato paste, one can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, one small can of green chiles, half of an onion, garlic, chicken broth, and all of your taco spices! If you’ve made my ground beef for tacos, you’ll recognize these same taco spices. If you’re not up for making your own taco seasoning mix, you can use half a packet of the store-bought stuff. Just make sure to read the ingredient list, because some taco seasoning mixes have preservatives and other strange chemicals.
If you’re new here, I cook for two, so that means that I use the Instant Pot Mini. It’s the 3-quart model, and it makes a small batch of soup. If you’re cooking for two or have a small household that doesn’t like a lot of leftovers, the Instant Pot Mini is the size for you. If you’ll allow me to go on a little tangent for a minute, I have to confess that although I love soup, I don’t know why most recipes make so much of it. While soup is excellent leftover, do we really need a full gallon of it every single time we make it? I adore that this Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe makes a batch large enough for my family to enjoy for a few days, but is gone after that.
Instant Pot Mini recipes:
This recipe was the first time I used my instant pot mini to make soup. While it has a ‘Soup’ function, I did a little research and discovered that using the ‘Soup’ function is essentially like using HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. I made the soup both ways, and can confirm–it tastes identical. Why use the pressure cook function to make soup? It’s well understood that soup tastes best when it simmers for a long time on the stove while being stirred lovingly occasionally. Well, um, I’m afraid I don’t have time to stir anything lovingly or let anything linger on my stove all day. The pressure cooker speeds up the cooking process and intensifies the flavors, and makes it taste as if it’s been cooking all day. Essentially, the instant pot is magic. I know you’re going to ask: can you make this without an instant pot? Yes, you can; it just needs to simmer for a long time on the stove and be stirred lovingly occasionally. I love you, too.
Ways to use leftover ground meat:
Since I cook for two, my soup recipes with ground turkey or ground beef use a ½ pound of meat. Since we typically buy ground meat in 1-pound packages, I freeze the remaining portion. It’s always ready for a quick one-day defrost to be used in another meal later that week. For leftover ground turkey, can I suggest: Egg Roll Bowls, Whole30 meatballs, Tamale Pie, or Spicy Turkey Burgers. For leftover ground beef, can I suggest: Ground Beef for Tacos, Small Batch Chili, Instant Pot Spaghetti, or Swedish Meatballs. If you have a baby in your house, I have a baby beef recipe for Bolognese over Spaghetti Squash.
Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot, and then add the ground turkey. Cook, while breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink.
Next, hit ‘OFF.’ Add all remaining ingredients to the Instant pot. Give it a good stir.
Press ‘PRESSURE COOKER’ on the Instant Pot, and make sure it’s set to ‘HIGH.’ Add 20 minutes to the timer. Ensure the valve is turned to ‘SEALING.’ (Alternatively, you could use the ‘SOUP’ function instead, which essentially pressure cooks for 20 minutes also).
When the pot reaches full pressure, it will beep, and the timer will start counting down 20 minutes.
When the timer goes off, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Your pressure valve may or may not release also. If not, at the end of 10 minutes, use a wooden spoon to carefully open the pressure valve and allow the pot to fully de-pressurize.
Remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and give everything a good stir.
Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, and cilantro, or any other topping you desire. I use the Instant Pot Mini 3-quart machine; you may double this recipe for a larger machine. You may also make it on the stove top–just allow to cook for 30-60 minutes over low heat.
Instant Pot 3 Qt Pressure Cooker
