7-Can Taco Soup

By Becky Jo

Seven can taco soup is such a quick and easy soup to throw together, with a well stocked pantry you can whip it up in no time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of green chilies, undrained
• 4 cups of beef broth or stock
• 1 can of chili beans, undrained
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
• Finely shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, for garnish, optional
• Chopped fresh tomato, for garnish, optional
• Diced avocado, for garnish, optional
• Shredded lettuce, for garnish, optional
• Homemade or commercial tortilla strips, for garnish, optional
• Sour cream, for garnish, optional

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 25mins
Adapted from deepsouthdish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Vary the beans - some people use black beans or northern beans, or several cans of kidney beans. Go for it! Some use salsa or picante instead of Rotel tomatoes. Some like to use cream corn instead of whole kernel corn and I've even seen a recipe using mixed vegetables. Some people use water, some chicken broth. I prefer beef broth myself. Some people even like to add small shell or macaroni pasta. If you don't like the selection of "cans" here, mix it up and make it your own.

A lot of people also simmer this in the crockpot all day while they tend to the rest of life, but this comes together so quick and really only needs a 30 minutes simmer so I do mine on the stovetop. I like to let it low simmer about an hour though, just to let all the flavors sort of marry and meld together, though it can also be held over low for quite awhile, perfect for those times the family seems to be eating in shifts.

Most canned beans are extremely high in sodium, and draining and rinsing them supposedly gets rid of nearly half of the sodium level, and... just so you know, it apparently also helps to reduce some of those troublesome gas-causing sugars as well. Even still, we're talking canned goods and packaged goods here, so there is plenty of sodium present despite that, and it's unlikely you will need any additional salt, or even pepper. You can, of course, make your own homemade ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning, instead of using the packets, if you like.

, sour cream and sliced green onion. A yummy delicious soup, great for a rainy day, and especially good when you find yourself with a herd of kids running thorough your kitchen, all on different eating schedules. Makes plenty, holds well, and is even better leftover.

Here's how to make it.

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ranch dressing mix

taco seasoning mix

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until beef is browned,

as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the ranch dressing and taco seasoning packets and cook and stir for another minute. Add the un-drained, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, and green chilies; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and the undrained chili beans. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and pinto beans; drain the corn and add all to the pot and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Can hold longer over low heat.

This is the mix of beans and veggies that I use, but with a well stocked pantry, you can vary the recipe according to your own tastes, using a variety of substitutes. Swap the beef for ground turkey or use cooked, shredded chicken for a different twist.

Brown the meat, drain and add to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or 3 to 4 hours on high.

24 HUNGRY PEOPLE COMMENTED. ADD YOURS!

This is a favorite in our teacher's lounge. One of the teacher's makes it a few times a year, and we eat it all day long!

Love this soup. I like to use less beans and add potatoes.

I added a can of julienne carrots.

Thanks so much Barb! Glad you enjoyed it and that does sound like an excellent addition.

This is very similar to a recipe I have for soup, but without the chili ingredient "kick." I'll have to try this version! My version calls for ground beef, diced onion, taco and ranch dressing mixes, one can each of corn, kidney beans, green beans, navy beans and diced tomatoes, and a can/bottle of beer. I often add some diced carrots and/or okra to it as well.

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