Taco Soup!

This is one of our favorite soups and it's so quick and easy to throw together.  I usually cook it on the stove, but you can also brown your ground chuck and put everything in the slow cooker and let it go on low for 6 to 8 hours.   I like to serve this with various toppings in bowls for garnish and just let everyone fix theirs like they like it.  The toppings I use are usually things you would normally eat on a taco, but feel free to use whatever you and your family like.

I had a recipe for taco soup that I have always used, but one of our 'Sweet Tea and Cornbread' readers was sweet enough to send me her recipe and I thought I liked parts of it better, so this is her recipe with a little of mine combined and it turns out delicious.


 Here is what you'll need:

1 - 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck, browned
1 medium onion diced
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
1  15 oz. can tomato sauce
2  15oz.  cans Ranch style beans (can use chili beans, pinto beans or black beans)
1  15oz. can yellow niblets corn, drained or 1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen corn
3 cups of water
dash of black pepper
dash of garlic powder

Garnishes
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced olives
jalapenos
Frito's or tortilla chips
green onions
fresh cilantro

Brown the ground beef along with the onion until the beef is browned.  Drain any excess grease.

Add all of the other ingredients and bring to a boil.  Stir and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes.  The flavor improves the longer it simmers.  If you want to  do this in the slow cooker, brown the beef and onion, drain and place along with all of the other ingredients in the slow cooker.  Reduce the water to 2 cups.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I like to serve this soup with various garnishes on the side so everyone can fix it the way they like!



Chicken Taco Soup!

This "Chicken Taco Soup" puts a little different spin on the usual Taco Soup  that is made with ground beef.  I came up with this one day when I just didn't have any ground chuck thawed out, but I had some chicken breasts.

The results were delicious and I think we liked it just as well, if not even better!  I cooked this on the stove top, but you could use your slow cooker also.

Here is what you will need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (could use a rotisserie chicken)

olive oil

seasoned salt 

black pepper

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can Red Gold chili ready tomatoes

1 (10.5 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can Great Northern or navy beans, drained and rinsed 

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

3 cups water

Garnishes

shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese

sliced green onions

sliced black olives

jalapeno pepper rings

sour cream

Fritos or tortilla chips

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle both sides lightly with seasoned salt and black pepper.   Roast in the oven at 375 for about 40-45 minutes or untl done.  Turn over once about midway through.  Take and allow to cool enough for handling.  While they cool some, prepare the other ingredients.

Place about 3 Tbs. olive oil in a Dutch oven or a soup pot.  Add the onion and bell pepper and saute just until they are starting to get tender.  Add all of the other ingredients and stir to blend.  

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add it to the pot.  If you use two forks to shred  the chicken it makes it easier.   Bring up to a boil and then reduce to medium low and cook for about 30 - 45 minutes.  The longer this simmers the better the flavors become.  

If you want to use your slow cooker for this, place the onion and bell pepper in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the chicken breasts, raw, on top of that layer and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Add the other ingredients and reduce the water to 1 cup.  Cook for 8 hours on low.  Remove the chicken breasts, shred them and then return to the soup.

I set the various toppings out in individual bowls and let everyone top their own how they like! This was a sure winner at our house!