If every meal I made could be on the cover of Bon Appétit, I would. I love food. I love making delicious food. Some days delicious means gourmet, other days, delicious means a greasy cheeseburger. And then there are days where I want something in between. There’s rarely ever enough time in the day to do all the things I want, so I’m constantly on the search for recipes that are technically from scratch but easy and on the quicker side to make. I found this taco soup recipe here. I also love what I call “fake” Mexican food. Just think homemade Tex-Mex. I’ve made this recipe a few times, and it gets better each time. This soup is hearty and tasty, doesn’t break the bank and is quick to make on a weeknight.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
- 15 oz. can pinto beans
- 15 oz can black beans
- 15 oz can kidney beans
- 2 15 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- Ortega taco seasoning*
- 1 16 oz bag frozen corn
- 1 cup diced onion
Taco Soup
Step 1: Brown beef, set aside
Step 2: Drain and rinse canned beans. I don’t know what the funky slime is that they come packed in, but it’s gross. And slimy. Get rid of it. Pour beans into large stock pot.
Step 2 ½: Turn your burner on low to get everything warming up as you mix all your ingredients in.
Step 3: Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and water to beans, mix well.
Step 4: *Add taco seasoning. If you are using the individual packets, the original recipe calls for two packets. I use Ortega because it comes in a canister, not just packets. See?! That discovery rocked my world. I love fake Mexican food. Having this canister instead of having to remember the packets makes getting that food into my mouth that much easier.
Step 5: Add corn and onion, mix well. Corn is my favorite food group. It should be in every recipe. Except maybe chocolate cake. Corn in chocolate cake would be gross.
Step 6: Add beef, mix well.
Step 7: Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. The simmering makes sure everything is cooked through and all the flavors blend together really nicely. I never knew the value of simmering until this recipe. I served it too early once and it was OK, but didn’t have a really cohesive taste. There’s magic in a simmer.
Step 8: This soup is great without extras, but I add a dollop of sour cream, some cheddar cheese and avocado to taste. I mix the extras in, which makes it a little creamy and a lot delicious. And who can say no to avocado, sour cream and cheddar?
This recipe makes about 6-8 cereal bowl size servings. It also makes great leftovers. Bon Appétit!
Originally published November 29, 2014