Taco Soup

Superbowl Sunday: Soup-erbowl Sunday. Rather than having the standard chili this year, I opted to mix it up (but not get too crazy) and serve taco soup, a slight variation on the old standby. At first I was a little suspicious of this recipe with the ranch dressing mix; however, it adds a surprising depth of flavor to the soup and I’m officially a fan. If you like things spicy, you could also add a diced jalapeno (or two) when you add the bell peppers just to give things a little (or big!) kick.

As for the game, it was an exciting one this year and the soup was the perfect accompaniment to the entire event.

Taco Soup
Adapted from Cup of Jo

1 lb ground sirloin
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 28oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 15oz can no salt added pinto beans
1 15 oz can no salt added kidney beans
1 cup water

Brown meat with onion and bell peppers in a large Dutch oven, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add seasoning mixes and stir until meat and vegetables are well-coated. When spices are fragrant, add tomatoes with juice, cans of bean with liquid, and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (or longer).

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips (we prefer the blue corn tortilla chips) and/or cornbread.

Serves 6-8.