Taco Soup

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while.  Even though the calendar says it’s spring, it’s gotten really cold here in Indiana (again), so I’m making this for supper. This is an incredibly easy recipe, it makes a bunch, and the leftovers freeze well. Could you ask for more?

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can Ranch style beans
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

Directions:  brown ground beef and chopped onion.  Drain fat.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least one hour, stirring occasionally.

Seriously, it’s that easy.  Here’s a photo of the simple ingredients and the resulting soup.

A couple of notes: while it’s not really high in calories, you can lighten it up by using a combination of lean ground beef and lean ground turkey (I use 93% lean turkey; it’s cheaper than the 99% lean and adds only a little fat); I posted a ‘hotter’ version of this on Amy Alessio’s website, http://www.vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com/, back in January to help promote my friend Molly MacRae’s new book Lawn Order. This is a tamer version that I prefer.

Enjoy!