Taco Soup
Taco soup: the easiest way to use up all those cans of beans and vegetables to clear out the pantry and fridge.
One of the things I miss the most since I’ve moved is the “huge” (by inner-city 690-square food condo standards) pantry next to the kitchen. Now, I have a small kitchen with minimal storage, and I have to share it all with another person. Gone are the days of keeping a stocked pantry; I really have to grocery shop every few days now (carrying a gallon of milk uphill a mile totally counts as a workout, right?).
I recently noticed my cabinet was a little over-stuffed, so it was time to clear out the contents — random cans leftover from something I decided not to make, half a jar of sauce leftover from a rare Costco trip, etc. This is what happens when all the random leftover food comes together.
Taco Soup
(an original Bunsen Burner Bakery kitchen experiment)
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds soy crumbles or ground beef
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 jalapenos, chopped
- 4 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (or 2 packets)
- 12 ounces beer of choice (I used Abita Pecan Harvest Ale)
Directions:
- If using beef, cook in skillet until no longer pink. Drain and transfer to a large Dutch oven or stockpot. If using soy crumbles, just add frozen crumbles directly to stockpot.
- Add onions to ground beef/soy crumbles and cook over medium heat until onions begin to brown.
- Add red pepper, tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, corn, and jalapenos. Stir in taco seasoning. Pour beer into stockpot and stir gently.
- Simmer soup over low heat for one hour. Partway through cooking, mash soup with a potato masher to thicken the soup.
- Garnish with favorite taco toppings — tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.