Alesha's Taco Soup

 

I'm sure most everyone has had this before, but a couple of years ago, at a family reunion, I had this for the first time. It was my cousin, Alesha who made the soup so I gave it a try. I was hooked, so I shared this with my family, and have made it several times. Not sure where this one came from originally, but I call it Alesha's Taco Soup. I love dishes like these, where I can puree extra veggies and throw them in for extra nutrition. Spaghetti is another favorite to do that with. This is the only way I can get my family to eat Spinach (they think it tastes like dirt). Now I don't hide this from them, I don't think that's the answer, I announce which extra veggies I have put in so they can be excited like I am. I have put spinnach, carrots, green pepper, red, orange and yellow bell peppers, cellery, and a number of other veggies. I like to switch it up each time.

1 pound Ground Beef (works great with cooked chicken too)
1 package taco seasoning(I eyeball it, I buy bulk)
1 can kidney beans(do not drain)
1 can pinto beans(do not drain)
1 can corn(do not drain)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
2 cans diced tomatoes (my fam doesn't like to eat chunks of tomato, so I just puree this as well)

Brown the ground beef, drain, then add taco seasoning. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, tomato sauce, water and diced tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.

Pour over crunched up chips, top with shredded cheese (pepperjack is aweseome), and sour cream if you like.

One more note here. Brandon's not a huge fan of soups, so I make this thicker sometimes, by leaving out the water, and the diced tomatoes. Still tastes awesome!