2clovesgarlicchopped, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
15 ½ouncepinto beanscanned, drained
15 ½ouncekidney beanscanned, drained
15 ½ounceblack beanscanned, drained
15 ½ounceyellow corncanned, drained
15 ½ouncechopped tomatoescanned, undrained
214.5 ounceCans beef broth
1packageHidden Valley Ranch Dressing Seasoning1 ounce package. Salad Dressing and Recipe Mix, on the dressing aisle
1packageTaco Seasoning1 ounce
1Cupwater
Instructions
Place a large colander in the sink. Open all cans of beans and corn, place in the colander all at once to drain.
In the meantime, chop the onion and garlic.
In a large Dutch Oven or soup pan crumble the ground beef and cook until about half way done. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in the drained beans and corn, undrained tomatoes, the beef broth. Stir well.
Sprinkle in The ranch dressing, taco seasoning and stir well. Add water.
Simmer for 15 minutes or until flavors are blended. Sprinkle with some chopped raw onion and shredded cheese. Serve with corn chips.
Notes
Tips for Success:
You'll notice there's no salt and fresh ground pepper in the ingredient list. The seasoning packets and the canned ingredients can contain enough salt to adequately flavor this soup. Wait until finished cooking, taste and adjust by adding salt and pepper if needed.
This makes a large batch of soup, so choose a large soup pan. A 6 quart pot will work well here.
Choose a ground beef blend of 90% lean to 10% fat. That little bit of fat content will add enough fat to cook the onions and garlic. And fat will make the soup more flavorful.
Even though this taco soup recipe is meant to be a quick week-night dinner miracle meal. If you have time to fuss, here are some great topping ideas.
Slices of lime. A squeeze of fresh lime juice makes any Mexican style soup brighter with flavor.
Chopped Avocado: Adding a creamy texture is always a good thing.
Chopped Cilantro:
Corn Chips: I like to take a small hand full of yellow or white corn chips and give them a good crunch for a topping. Purchased tortilla strips also work well here.
A dollop of Sour Cream is always a good choice.
If you're looking to add some heat, top Taco Soup with thin slices of Jalapeno Pepper or Pickled Jalapeno Peppers.
A shake or two of your favorite hot sauce will shake things up.