Taco Soup

“I first made this recipe a few years ago and though it turned out amazing, I hadn’t made it since.”

I wrote that on June 14, 2010 when this post was first published. Fast forward to January 3, 2017 and I hadn’t made the soup since! I stumbled upon the recipe when I was looking back in time horrified by the pictures I took almost seven years ago. It was then that I decided to redo a few recipes so I could redo a few pics.

Here’s what I wrote about the soup back in 2010:

“One of the reasons I really like this soup is because it reminds me of one of the soups the (day) kitchen manager, Christine, used to make when I worked at the Wauwatosa Chancery. We were only allowed to take a spoon and try the soup, but her soups (pizza soup, lasagna soup, chicken Florentine, taco soup, etc.) were so good that we would continue to try the soup all day long. (And try not to get caught as we were trying it!)

“I have no idea where I got this recipe… but it’s super easy to make.”

I actually wish I knew where I got the recipe because it was written surprisingly vague (“can” of this and “jar” or “package” of that). I’m assuming we are using normal-size cans, packages and jars here and added some quantities to be more specific!

ingredients.

• 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey browned and drained
• 1 large yellow onion chopped, browned with meat
• 1 14.5 or 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
• 1 14.5 or 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 14.5 or 15 oz can ranch style beans with jalapenos
• 1 14.5 or 15 oz can diced Rotel
• 1 14.5 or 15 oz can Mexican stewed tomatoes
• 1 package taco seasoning (Trader Joe’s sells these individually!)
• 1 package ranch dip (powder) (Von’s sells these individually!)
• 2 c. water
• 1 12-oz (approximately) jar salsa con queso (optional)
• 1 12-oz (approximately) jar spicy black bean dip (optional)

directions.

1. Brown meat and onions, drain grease. Add canned ingredients, water, bean dip and salsa con queso.
2. Simmer for one hour. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

The original recipe does not call for salsa con queso or bean dip, I added that. In 2010 I wrote that you can up the water to between 3 and 4 cups instead of just 2 if you want a thinner soup. But really who wants that? In 2010, I went to three grocery stores and was unable to find Ranch Style beans with jalapenos. Instead I substituted one can of Ranch Style beans along with one small can of diced jalapenos. (In 2017 I had no issues finding Ranch Style Beans with Jalepenos at my local Vons.) In 2010 I seasoned the soup with salt and pepper and green Habanero sauce. I needed no salt, no pepper, nor did I need Habanero sauce in 2017. It was plenty salty and spicy enough!

My dad really enjoyed this soup. It’s mostly healthy, filling and, as he says, clears your sinuses!

Recipe rating: 