Amazing TACO SOUP

I’ll say it again…if I post a recipe on my blog and you’re a foodie like me, you have to take my word that it is amazing!  This soup will not disappoint.  It is perfect for this cold, chilly weather!  You can prepare it on the stove or in a crock pot.  This recipe comes from my friend Amie.  She made it one night for our church’s home team and it’s my go-to taco soup now and it’s SUPER SIMPLE.  I live in Texas so I’ve had my fair share of taco soups!  I think the three ingredients that make this so good are the cream corn, Zatarains black beans & rice, and the Ranch style beans.

I serve it with corn bread.  I use a Jiffy mix and add about 1/2 – 1 cup cream corn to that as well (per one box).  This was the second day I ate this so I was eating chips with it for lunch.  Oh yes, this recipe makes a TON, so it’s great for a large group of people.  It actually calls for 2 pounds of meat, but I find one pound to be plenty.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey…I’ve used both)
1 chopped medium onion
2 cans (15oz) Pinto beans (I used navy* and kidney in the picture below, so feel free to use your favorite)
2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use mild Rotel)
1 can (15oz) Ranch style beans
1 can (15oz) black beans
1 can cream style corn
1 package Zatarains Black Beans and Rice
1 envelope Ranch style dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning
4 cups water
*I always try to use Navy beans in my recipes…they have a TON of fiber in them.

DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown your meat until cooked through.  Also sauté your onion in the same pan.  I usually cook meat till it’s almost all brown and then add onion with a little drop of olive oil and sauté another 5 minutes or so until onion is opaque.
2. Drain meat and onion to get rid of excess fat.  Set aside to add to the soup.
3. Drain and rinse the pinto beans and black beans.   Then add all ingredients together in a large pot.
4. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. I usually bring to boil and then put it on low to simmer.

*If using a CROCK POT, cook meat/onion as mentioned above and add all ingredients to a crockpot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  I think it could cook up much faster (1-2 hours on high) if you start it when you get home from work or later in day. 

Let me know if you like it!  Do you have any good soup/stew recipes you make for the winter?  Please tell or leave a link in comments!