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:

1. 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.
2. Add onions to ground beef/soy crumbles and cook over medium heat until onions begin to brown.
3. Add red pepper, tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, corn, and jalapenos. Stir in taco seasoning. Pour beer into stockpot and stir gently.
4. Simmer soup over low heat for one hour. Partway through cooking, mash soup with a potato masher to thicken the soup.
5. Garnish with favorite taco toppings — tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.