Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup

Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup

Oh. my. gosh. I could not stop eating this creamy and luscious Low Carb Tex Mexican Soup! Warm and comforting, it’s made with ground beef  for a quick and easy weeknight meal, made right in your slow cooker, Instant Pot OR on the stove top – so many options.

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…Shall We??? 🙂

I love making easy meals for my family and this is a wonderfully simple low-carb soup recipe!

There are only four main ingredients that you’re going to need: ground beef, cream cheese, a can of tomatoes with diced green chilies, chicken broth, and a few seasonings.  I always have these ingredients on hand, so this is our perfect go-to meal when the weather cools down.

We love a good ground beef soup with lot of Mexican flavor and a little kick. When my guys work hard (and they always do) they totally enjoy hearty and thick recipes with meat.  I love that the recipe goes together so easily and quickly, giving gives me more time to do other things.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup? 

• Ground Beef

We like to use lean ground beef and since we raise beef, we’ve always got an entire freezer full of it! You can use any type of ground beef in this recipe, but if you choose to cook one that’s got more fat, just be sure to drain the fats that accumulate when it’s cooked so your soup doesn’t have a greasy texture.

• Cream Cheese

I used full fat cream cheese in this low carb recipe.  The cream cheese gives this soup a super thick and creamy texture – super satisfying.

• Chicken Broth

The chicken broth is combined with the cream cheese to flavor it and also thin it down a bit to become less of a dip consistency and more of a soup consistency.

• Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies

I used Rotel brand, but any brand works great – use your favorite.  You don’t need to the tomatoes, either – the juices combine with the broth and cream cheese in this soup.

• Granulated Garlic, Granulated Garlic, Chili Powder, Cumin

These are basic spices that nearly everyone has on hand – yay! If you prefer more  or less of any one of them, feel free to customize the flavors to taste.  If you like a more spicy option, kick up the chili powder.

What Tools Are Handy for Making This Low Carb Mexican Soup?

Programmable Slow Cooker – A slow cooker makes life in the kitchen so much easier. We rely on our slow cooker alot for keeping meals warm and ready to eat.

6 Quart Instant Pot – We adore our Instant Pot! Did you know that nearly all electric pressure cookers have a saute setting so you can brown your ground beef right in your Instant Pot, instead of having to do that step in a skillet on the stove. Then, continuing to use the saute setting, stir in the remaining soup ingredients and heat throughout.  You’ve got Low Carb Tex Mexican Soup just like that – super easy.

Easy and Helpful Recipe Tips for Making Tex Mexican Soup

• This soup looks and tastes a lot like queso! Can I serve it with chips?

It sure does.  Yep, you actually CAN serve it with chips, but keep in mind it would no longer be considered a low carb meal.  If your family doesn’t care about low-carb, add in the chips, by all means!

• When I made this soup, I thought it was too thick.  Can I add milk to thin it down a bit?

Yep, but again that could kick this soup out of the low-carb category.  Instead, use more chicken broth or add another can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, instead.

• Can I substitute other ground meats in place of the ground beef?

Sure thing.  You could substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken…..even ground venison would work just fine. Sometimes I even make this a meatless soup when it’s just me eating it.

• What is a chipotle and why would I want to add that ingredient to this soup? The recipe says it’s optional.

A chipotle is a smoked jalepeno, so it’s a very spicy, smoky ingredient. I purchase whole chipotles packed in adobo sauce (found in the Hispanic aisle at your grocer) then toss them into my food processor, processing all until nice and smooth.

I store the minced chipotles and adobo sauce in my fridge with all my other condiments so it’s handy to grab for any dish that needs a touch of spiciness or smoke – it’s a super yummy ingredient, and also very trendy right now, too.

• So I can make this soup three different ways?

Yes, and don’t you love having options? You can makes this Mexican soup in the slow cooker on low, in the Instant Pot using the saute setting, or on your stove top in a sauce pan.  Any way you opt to make it, this soup is going to be a hit with your family and guests!

• Can I double this recipe or maybe even cut it in half if I want a smaller batch for just one or two?

Yes – it works either way and I’ve tried both ways.  I often double it for my big family or when I just want some for myself at lunch occasionally, it’s super easy to make a half a batch.

• So to be clear, when I make this soup in the Instant Pot, I’m not going to cook it under pressure at all?

Nope.  You’re just going to use the saute setting to cook the ground beef, drain the fats, and then add the remaining ingredients, cooking the soup just until it’s hot throughout.

You really can’t cook this soup under pressure since it’s so thick, and it may also curdle if you try to cook it under pressure.  Using the saute setting is super handy and it comes together FAST. (Using the saute setting on your Instant Pot means you’re using your pot like a pot on a burner – if that makes better sense to you!)

Other Family-Favorite Soup Recipes to Enjoy –

• Low-Carb Chicken Bacon Ranch Soup

• Instant Pot Sausage, Bacon and Potato Soup 

• Curried Butternut Squash Bisque

• Instant Pot Tuscan Bean Soup 

• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup….Just 6 Ingredients 

• Orzo Chicken Soup with Vegetables 

Printable Directions for Making Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup

Instant Pot Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup

Oh. my. gosh. I could not stop eating this creamy and luscious Low Carb Tex Mexican Soup! Warm and comforting, it's made with ground beef  for a quick and easy weeknight meal, made right in your slow cooker, Instant Pot OR on the stove top in a sauce pan - I love all the options! We love how satisfying this low-carb soup is and enjoy all the spicy Mexican flavors, too. 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Chef Alli

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef, browned and fats drained
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used low fat cream cheese)
• 1 Tbs. each chili powder and ground cumin
• 1 tsp. each onion and garlic powder
• 1 can tomatoes and diced green chilies, with juice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo, optional

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

• Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), add the ground beef and cook throughout, crumbling the meat as it cooks. When the beef is fully cooked, drain any fats that have accumulated, then add the remaining ingredients (still using the saute setting), stirring occasionally to cook and combine all the ingredients until the soup is smooth and creamy . When the soup is hot throughout, serve at once.

Slow Cooker Method

• Place cream cheese into greased slow cooker set on high. When cream cheese is softened, stir in spices, ground beef and tomatoes; combine well, then stir in chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1-2 hours.

Stove Top Method

• Using a sauce pan over medium high heat, add the ground beef and cook throughout, crumbling the meat as it cooks. When the beef is fully cooked, drain any fats that have accumulated. Using medium heat now, add the remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally to cook and combine all the ingredients until the soup is smooth and creamy. When the soup is hot throughout, serve at once.

Notes

**Please note:  the cooking time stated for this recipe does not include the time required to bring the Instant Pot up to pressure since this can vary. This recipe was made using a 6-quart Instant Pot. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: instant pot, low carb, Low-Carb Tex Mexican Soup, slow cooker, soup

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1452IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 4mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli 

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