Good morning!!!!
I am 170 days away from graduation with my Masters in School Counseling with Licensure. Hopefully, we will have more recipes after that! This one was so good that I am making sure to add it to the blog. This soup is a staple during the winter months. We went from 82 degrees on Friday to 19 degrees on Sunday morning, so I definitely want a list of soups for these cold months.
If you are looking for an AMAZING way to enjoy hot soup at work – you need to get this crock pot! It has a handle and heats your soup in the morning to eat it at lunchtime. This lunch crockpot is a lifesaver for those of us without a microwave at work or little time to wait for heating food. I simply add the leftovers into the lunch crockpot in the morning and plug it in when I get to work. Or, I leave it in the car at school #1 (it’s 30 degrees outside) and then plug it into school #2 later.
Warning: the food is a little too hot for me after heating for 2 hours. I try to unplug it about 15 minutes before eating and leave the lid off. The inside bowl and inner lid are dishwasher safe as well!
Photo: Amazon
Don’t have tortilla chips on hand? Want some crunchies? You can still make this! Just take a couple of regular tortillas and cut them into small strips with a pizza cutter. Spray with a little cooking spray on both sides and sprinkle with salt (and fajita seasoning if you would like). Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. They can burn fast – so watch closely toward the end!
- 1.5 pounds ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken
- 3 cups chopped vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash and/or carrots)
- 15 oz. tomato sauce or 6 oz. tomato paste
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 2 Tb. ranch seasoning
- 3 cans (15 oz each) kidney, black, or pinto beans; rinsed and drained
- 8 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1.5 cups (fresh or 1 can drained) corn kernals
- Toppings: avocado, diced green chilis, cheddar cheese, homemade tortilla chips, tortilla strips, crushed tortilla chips, or salsa
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook onion and ground meat for 5 minutes over medium to medium-high heat. Add carrots if using, and cook for 5 minutes more or until no longer pink.
- Add the taco seasoning, ranch seasoning and tomato sauce (or paste). Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add rest of the vegetables, beans and broth. Cook on medium high until it comes to a boil.
- Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add corn and heat through.
- Top with toppings and enjoy!
1 Tb. dried parsley
1/2 Tb. garlic powder
1/2 Tb. onion powder
To make tortilla strips at home in the oven:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cut 2 tortillas with a pizza cutter into strips. Cut strips into 1" pieces. Toss with a little oil. Sprinkle salt to taste (you can also sprinkle fajita seasoning or paprika) Lay on a sprayed rimmed cookie sheet or on top of foil or parchment on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes. They will turn golden brown fast - so keep a close eye on them.
