Taco Soup

Where I live in Oklahoma, we are gradually changing into more "Fall-like" weather. This past week the kids started to wear their light jackets to school in the morning and my fall decorations outside of my home finally match the cooler temperature.  The cloudy sky along with the occasional rain shower has been a welcome sight in this dry part of the world. As soon as the crisp weather arrives, I automatically start browsing through my favorite soup recipes.  I've seen different versions of this recipe all over the internet the past few years. When I searched through all of my own files, I found this original taco soup recipe dated October 2009.  Needless to say this is one of my favorite easy-to-make chilly weather soups!!

I've made this soup so many times that I rarely look up the recipe. This past week I was making the rounds in the grocery area of Wal-Mart (not the commissary thanks to the govt. shutdown) when I suddenly had a craving for taco soup. With only a few stops in the aisles and items I already had at home, I had everything necessary to throw this soup together.  I wish you could smell the yummy bubbly goodness.....such a good belly warming comfort food!!!

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped 

1 can corn

2 cans kidney beans

1 (15 oz.) can Ro-Tel, mild

1  (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 cups water

In a large soup pot, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat until boiling. Then continue simmering on medium-low heat for at least 15 minutes. 

Serve over Frito chips....delicious with a dollop of sour cream, diced green onion and shredded cheddar cheese....YUM!!!

There are many options for changing the flavors of this soup. You can replace the ground beef with shredded rotisserie chicken or ground turkey. I've also used a can of yellow hominy instead of the corn. Sometimes I only add 1 can of beans or I even use a variety of beans such as 1 can of kidney and 1 can of pinto or black beans....etc. Also I tend to buy the mild Ro-Tel and the mild Taco seasoning so that it isn't too spicy for my kids. 

This is the perfect recipe to combine early in the day and then add to your crockpot to simmer on low until you are ready to eat. If I'm serving more than just our family of five then I tend to double or triple this recipe. It is even better the next day as leftovers because the flavors develop together so well. Keep this recipe in mind as the perfect chilly weather soup that everyone will love!!!

Carissa