Taco Soup

Sep 22 2012

I remember a couple years ago when we went on a whirlwind vacation--four days in the mountains with my family for Thanksgiving and then on to Orlando for a week. By the end of ten days, we were exhausted and stinking to high heaven. But we had to make one more stop before heading home--Greenville, SC to see some of our favorite friends, the Baxley family. Cindy and Mike have been my friends since we went to college together at Furman University. Now both of our families are very close. So, there was only one place I wanted to go for dinner (and it's probably the only place that would accept us, smelling like we did). We dropped in at the Baxley's and they filled our bellies with some delicious taco soup.

Yummy! Cindy had some toppings for us to sprinkle on--green onions, crushed corn chips, and cheese. It was the perfect way to end a perfect vacation. Wonderful soup and wonderful friends.

But when we arrived home the next day, there was NOTHING in the kitchen. So, inspired by Cindy's soup, I raided my pantry and pulled together something that was pretty, darn close. I found some cheese in the freezer to sprinkle on top and it was a great meal. This is one recipe that I have gone to over and over again. It's a winner!

TACO SOUP

1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chili beans
2 cans fiesta corn (corn with peppers)
1 can diced tomatoes with peppers
2 cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz.) jar pizza sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 bag of Morningstar crumbles (fake ground beef)
3-4 cups chicken broth (I use "no chicken broth" by Imagine Organic)
1 cup mild salsa (optional)

Empty everything in a large pot and let it cook on a low temperature until it is nice and hot.

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Talk About It!

says

Cannot wait to try this one, soup is the best when it is this cold. Love one pot meals too! Maybe some cornbread muffins on the side? Yum!

06/12/2011 at 02:26 am

says

Hannah's family is vegetarian but you could easily swap in ground beef if you want, I am sure it would be great.

06/12/2011 at 02:26 am

mdbless says

We Texans love our chicken tortilla soup. Don't forget to garnish with cheese, cilantro, a dallop of sour cream and AVOCADO!!!! More power to you if you can find the colored tortilla strips for garnishing....chicken tortilla soup is Tex Mex in a bowl!

06/12/2011 at 02:26 am

Hannah says

Hey Farmgirl! More power to you for raising your own beef. That's awesome! I've been a vegetarian for about 25 years and it's all I know. I totally respect people raising their own healthy meat. The reason I chose to be a vegetarian is because I feel very opposed to how meat is currently being processed in big facilities. It's unhealthy and often, horrific. If more people knew what went on behind those concrete walls, they would probably lose their appetite for store-bought meat and do like you're doing and raise their own or choose locally bred and processed meat. For example, there is an awesome guy here in Virginia who raises and processes his own chickens and rabbits (he raises pork and cattle, but local laws prevent him from processing it at his farm so he has to take it in to a facility). He is showing true animal husbandry and it rocks. Check it out! http://www.polyfacefarms.com/

06/12/2011 at 02:26 am

yatesj16 says

I wish I lived closer. I'm jealous. Most of my good memories from college involve you and Cindy. 2 of my favorite people.

06/12/2011 at 02:26 am

Jen says

Thanks for this, Hannah! This recipe saved dinner tonight! It's two days away from a grocery trip. I used what I had in the pantry/fridge. Chopped zucchini and pre-cooked red potatoes aren't bad in it either. ;o)

09/26/2012 at 04:54 pm

Jen says

PS... I didn't have tomato sauce and pizza sauce, but I DID use the chicken broth, half a jar of spaghetti sauce, and two cans diced tomatoes. It worked great! I made a HUGE pot! There is enough for two dinners!

09/26/2012 at 04:57 pm