warm up with taco soup :: a simple recipe

Winter is officially here! The snow is here and the single digits are right along with it. There is nothing like soup on a cold winter day! The smell of it cooking during the day, the heat from the stove, and the warmth of it for dinner all make a cold winter day a little more bearable for me. I love so many different soups, but lately, I’ve loved making my favorite meals into some kind of soup form. Lasagna soup, taco soup, and chicken/broccoli are a few of my new favorites. This way you can take a tradition like “Taco Tuesday” and adapt it for the winter with Taco Soup. I’ve come across several great recipes for similar soups, but this has become our favorite combination of many. It is easy, can be done on the stove or in the crockpot, and can be changed to feed a crowd or a party of 2!

Serves: 6
Approximate prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes stove top/4 hours crock pot
Ingredients:
1 lb ground meat
1 onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
1 large can crushed tomatoes
15 oz can of chicken stock
15 oz can of corn
15 oz. can of black beans
Garnish (optional):
Crushed tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream

First, brown the meat. You can use any ground meat really, but beef is my favorite for this recipe. Next, add the onions and cook until they are tender. From here it is really easy. You can put it in a crockpot or large pot for the stove.
Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and spices (a taco seasoning packet can be substituted for cumin, chili powder, garlic, and salt) to the meat and onion mixture. If making on the stove, add in the corn and black beans too. If making in a crockpot save the corn and beans for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 45 minutes. If using a crockpot, cook on low for 4 hours.
Try out this recipe for an easy weeknight dinner or a weekend lunch! Serve with sandwiches or by itself for a hearty meal sure to help keep you warm through this winter! Share with me your favorite soups for the winter and let me know what you think of this warm recipe!