Taco Soup

This is the best taco soup you will ever make!  Fall is coming soon and we all love a good hearty soup.  This taco soup is what you need.  It is full of beans and meat, which means lots of protein and fiber for you.  Another thing I like to do with this recipe, is make fresh salsa instead of using a can of Rotel.  It’s pretty easy to do and the ingredients are very budget-friendly.

There are two ways of cooking this taco soup, either use a dutch oven or a crockpot.  The ingredients will make a big pot of soup.  It is a great soup to freeze for future quick dinners or to take to work for lunch. Tortilla chips and a blend of shredded Mexican cheese will make great additions to the taco soup.

Ingredients:

Taco Soup

1 can Bush’s black beans
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 can Green Giant mexicorn
1 can Green Giant shoepeg corn(you can substitute chipotle corn)
3 cans Rotel (see salsa recipe below) or 3 cups salsa
3 pkgs taco seasoning – you can use any brand
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
1 small can tomato sauce – you can use any brand
1 1/2 to 2 lbs browned turkey or hamburger meat

Salsa

6 tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 white onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 jalapeno
1 small can tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
2 teaspoons cilantro or to taste
2 teaspoons curled parsley or to taste
2 teaspoons garlic powder or to taste

For the salsa, chop up the vegetables and throw in a blender.  I like to puree it but you can use whatever blender setting you want.  Once blended, put in minced garlic, tomato paste, seasonings and blend again.  Check the consistency, then add the olive oil.  Only add enough olive oil to the consistency of your liking.

**You will not use all of the salsa for the taco soup. A can of Rotel is 10 oz, so make it 3 cups of salsa in it’s place.

For the taco soup, brown the meat in a pan or a dutch oven.  Drain the meat.  Once browned, either put it in your crockpot or keep it in the dutch oven.  Then add all of the other ingredients into the pot, mix and then simmer for a couple of hours.  If you use a crockpot, then cook on low for 8 hours.

When it’s time to eat, just add tortilla chips and any shredded cheese you prefer.  I prefer to use the shredded Mexican cheese blend.  Enjoy!