Taco Soup

In my attempt to try new foods and eat healthier, I tried a new recipe last week. A girl at work makes taco soup all the time during the Fall and even her kids love it. It looks and tastes similar to chili. Here's the recipe:

1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 medium to large onion (I used yellow onion) chopped finely
1 pound ground beef or turkey

Brown the meat, add ranch mix and taco seasoning (you could probably add the onion here, but I forgot, so I added it to the soup after everything else was mixed). I drained the corn and pinto beans before adding them to the pot, but I suppose you wouldn't have to do that. I didn't drain the chili beans or tomatoes. I had to add about 3/4 can of water to the soup to get it to the consistency I was looking for. Plus, I think the liquid in the pinto beans and corn is gross. I'm not a lover of canned veggies. Not at all. Combine all canned ingredients in large pot, add seasoned meat. Simmer and enjoy!


It makes about 8 servings. If you don't want to eat soup for several days in a row, use 1/2 cup frozen corn, leave out the pinto beans, use 1 can of tomatoes, and half a packet of ranch and taco seasoning.

You can experiment with the spiciness of the soup if you prefer mild or hot flavors. Chili beans usually come in mild, medium and hot varieties as does taco seasoning. Another lady at work added some hot sauce to her soup. Personally, Alex and I like mild spiciness because he gets heartburn at the drop of a hat. You can add cheddar cheese and/or sour cream to your bowl and I ate mine with blue corn chips. If you've never tried blue corn chips, they are thicker and crunchier than regular tortilla chips and have the same flavor. I get mine for less than $2 a bag at Aldi and they're all natural. No artificial colors or flavors. There's my plug for Aldi! I love that store!

Recipes like this were made for Fall weather and by the looks of it, Fall is almost here to stay! Thank the Lord for a break in 90 degree weather!