If the charms of Taco Tuesday are beginning to wear a little thin, why not try this recipe for Taco Soup to mix things up a bit. Featuring beef, tomatoes, beans, cumin, chilies, and garlic, it's just the thing to serve when you want something warm and steamy for supper.
Pretty much everyone on the planet loves the flavors of tacos. After all, what’s not to like? Savory meat accompanied by tomatoes, beans, cheeses, and of course, those authentic Southwestern flavors of cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onions. When you include the crunch of tasty corn-based taco shells, it all adds up to pleasure for the palate. No wonder kids everywhere love to eat tacos.
Taco Soup Recipe
If your family is in the habit of having Taco Tuesday, the same old tacos, burritos, and fajitas may be starting to wear out their welcome. Unless your family is a group of die-hard taco connoisseurs, some of your members may be ready for a new recipe to enter the rotation. This recipe for Taco Soup may be just the thing to spice up Taco Tuesday.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Soup Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 15 ounces Canned Corn
- 8 ounces Canned Tomato Sauce
- 15 ounces Canned Red Kidney Beans
- 15 ounces Canned Pinto Beans
- 15 ounces Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 2 cups Water
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and chop it into little pieces. Drain the fat from the meat and place it in a large dutch oven.
- Stir in the tomatoes with green chili peppers. Do not drain the tomatoes because the juice is needed to create a broth in the soup. Add the tomato sauce as well.
- Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Drain the liquid from the cans of beans and the can of corn, and then add the beans and corn to the pot. Stir it all together and add the two cups of water.
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium heat, and then lower the temperature to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and cook the soup for at least thirty minutes. However, if you want to allow the soup to cook for an hour or longer, that is fine too. Definitely stir the soup every thirty minutes or so to keep it from burning on the bottom if you choose to cook it longer.
- This soup is also fabulous when made in a slow cooker. Brown the meat and drain it, and add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook the soup on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 2 to 4 hours.
- Serve the soup in bowls accompanied by cornbread or another hearty bread. You may want to top the soup with cheese, sour cream, or corn chips for extra flavor and texture.
- Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- This soup also freezes well, so if you are feeding a smaller family, you may want to put half of it in the freezer for a busy day. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.
Notes
This recipe is sure to be a favorite of both the diners and the cook. Not only does it taste delicious, but it is also incredibly simple to make. After you have browned the ground beef, all of the rest of the ingredients simply get dumped into the soup pot.
Simmer it for about half an hour and you’re ready to put dinner on the table. We also include instructions to convert it to a slow cooker recipe. This will be a great way to adapt the flavors of Taco Tuesday for busy days or for days in the dead of winter when you want something warm and steamy to serve for dinner.
Want to speed up preparation even more? First of all, you can brown and drain several pounds of ground beef at once. Store them in the freezer in zip-top freezer bags. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator the day before you need them. Toss all of the rest of the seasonings and veggies in the soup pot the night before you want to eat it for dinner. Put the pot in the fridge to await dinner time. Then when you get home after work, all you have to do is set the pot on the stove, stir in the ground beef and let it simmer.
This recipe is delicious on its own, but if you want to increase the flavor and texture, just top each bowl with sour cream, cheese, and a handful of corn chips. If that’s not your style, simply serve the soup with a hearty yeast bread or a delicious cornbread.
Our recipe calls for ground beef, but if you don’t eat red meat, just substitute ground turkey or ground chicken. Alternately, you can omit the meat entirely and enjoy the Taco Soup vegetarian style. You may want to add an additional can of beans if you decide to leave the meat out of the recipe.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
April Freeman enjoys creating all kinds of recipes for her friends and family from her country kitchen in Middle Tennessee. She and her family raise beef cattle, chickens, and all sorts of fruits and veggies on their farm, and she specializes in featuring farm-fresh foods in the recipes that she creates and serves. April says that her slogan is “Are you hungry?” and she feels that one way of showing love and connecting with others is to serve delicious favorite foods to others. Her favorite thing to cook is pies of all kinds.
