Bowl of Creamy Taco Soup
This creamy soup is Tex-Mex at its finest. My Texan mom is an Instant Pot whiz, and she created this soup that I’m eager to share. Growing up in Texas, zingy and creamy dishes like this served with cornbread and butter were a staple.
As I was cooking this recipe, the smells that filled my house transported me back to late 90s north Texas, full of happy memories, simpler times, and delicious food. She was a busy, working mom, and she made a lot of effort to cook a nutritious meal for us every night.
Now that I’m a toddler mom, I use the Instant Pot several times a week to make my life easier. This soup is prepared entirely in the Instant Pot, so there is very little cleanup after cooking. All in all, active cooking time was about 25 minutes.
This recipe is flavorful without being spicy, making it a kid-friendly dish. If you like it spicier, adding a seeded and chopped jalapeno with the other pepper would be a delicious addition.
I hope you find comfort and flavor in this dish! Thanks, Mom!
Creamy Taco Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry or 1 15 oz can pinto beans
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
3 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped (I used bell pepper, poblano or anaheim would work nicely as well.)
2.5 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 c chicken or beef broth
15 oz tomato sauce
10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
½ block cream cheese
Optional garnishes:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, grated
Roasted hatch green chiles
METHOD
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
If your pinto beans are dry, here’s how you cook them in the instant pot. If your beans are canned or already cooked, skip ahead to “Creamy Taco Soup”.
The night before or about 8 hours before cooking, soak the beans in the instant pot with water about 2 inches above the beans. Add 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, stir into beans, and let sit 8-12 hours.
Soaking the beans before cooking helps pre-digest them and neutralize lectins and other anti-nutrients. This also reduces cooking time and promotes a more even cook on each bean, preventing splitting and bursting.
Pinto beans soaking in water and apple cider vinegar.
When the soaking time is up, drain the beans in a colander and rinse well. Add back to instant pot and cover with water about 2 inches above the beans. Place lid on instant pot. Set valve to sealing. Select manual pressure, high setting, and cook for 25 minutes. If you didn’t soak beans, cook for 35 minutes.
When cook time is up, allow instant pot to depressurize for 10 minutes and then quick release. Drain and rinse beans and set aside.
Drained and rinsed pinto beans.
Creamy Taco Soup
Set the instant pot to the “Saute” setting and add butter. When butter is melted, add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally as the saute function is very hot.
Chopped onions, sauteeing in butter.
Add ground beef and season with 2 pinches of salt. Break up ground beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks, stirring frequently. When ground beef is 75% cooked, add pepper.
Green pepper and Saint John’s ground beef sauteeing in Instant Pot.
When ground beef is finished cooking, add chili powder and cumin and turn off Saute function.
Chili powder and other spices added to Instant Pot.
Add broth, tomato sauce, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Stir to combine.
Place lid on instant pot. Set valve to sealing. Select manual pressure, high setting, and cook for 10 minutes.
When cook time is up, allow Instant Pot to depressurize for 10 minutes and then quick release.
Add beans and cream cheese and cover, stirring every minute or so until cream cheese is melted into soup. When cream cheese is melted, add salt to taste. The amount of salt you need will vary as sodium content in canned items and broths can vary quite a bit. Start with ¼ tsp, taste, and add more if needed. I ended up adding about ½ tsp.
Set to “Keep Warm” setting to keep the soup warm until you’re ready to serve!
We served it with sour cream and roasted hatch green chiles. Rice or tortilla chips would make a nice pairing with this delightful soup.
Creamy Taco Soup topped with roasted green chiles.
We all had seconds and my husband had thirds! This soup is a perfect quick dinner for wintertime that is packed with Tex-Mex flavor. Enjoy!
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