dear fellow crumbsnatchers,
my graduate program had our own version of mother teresa. she knew everything and anything about the sports administration program. not only did she teach me about office life, she became my chosen family. i wouldn't have survived my graduate assistantship without her. we all need a super hero and teresa was my she-ro.
it was in graduate school that i had my first bowl of mama teresa's taco soup and my life was forever changed. she served it with shredded cheese, sour cream and spicy nacho doritos. although i have tweaked her original recipe, every bowl reminds me of our time together. when bobcat friends visited for the weekend, taco soup. when bobcat friends came over to learn how to make apple pie, taco soup. or when i just want an easy, hearty soup to warm me up on a cold day, taco soup. this recipe is legendary amongst my circle of family and friends. i'm not surprised, though, the recipe originated from a legend herself.
taco soup recipe
crumb confession: i prefer ground chicken in my taco soup. don't get me wrong, i love ground beef too. ground beef can be greasy, ground turkey can be dry, but ground chicken is just right. sometimes i'll modify the recipe depending on what's in my pantry or fridge. for example, we had some leftover pico de gallo (tomatoes, red onions, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice) from taco tuesday and i threw it in the crockpot. like spicy food? add your favorite hot peppers or hot sauce. my friend jake likes it more soupy, so he uses less beans and mexican beer. i like it more chunky like chili, so i'll add less liquid and more beans. this recipe is not only easy to make, it's also very easy to adjust to your food preferences.
cuisine: mexican
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 4-8 hours
serves: 8
ingredients
soup:
1 tbs. vegetable, canola or corn oil
2 lbs ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
2-11 oz cans mexicorn or 1-15 oz can whole kernel corn
2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes or rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
1-15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1-15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1-15 oz can black beans, drained
2-1 oz packet ranch dressing and seasoning (approximately 4 tbs)
2-1 oz packet taco seasoning, mild or hot (approximately 4 tbs)
16 oz water or mexican beer
optional garnishes:
shredded cheese
sour cream
scallions, diced
avocado, sliced or diced
fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh lime wedges
spicy nacho doritos or tortilla chips
directions
on medium-high heat, heat skillet with oil. add ground meat and onions. saute until browned. add to 6-qt crockpot.
add remaining soup ingredients to crockpot and stir.
set crockpot to high heat for 4 hour cook time or low heat for 8 hour cook time.
serve with optional garnishes.
this recipe is great for lazy weekends, meal prep, game day or even group get togethers. we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
love and crumbs,
christina & gypsie
p.s. did you make this recipe? be sure to drop us a crumb on instagram at @crumbsforgypsie and hashtag it #crumbsforgypsie.