Taco Soup

Add your favorite toppings: cilantro, pickled jalapeños, avocado, Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips

There is so much to love about this soup. It tastes very much like a traditional beef taco but without the shell. It’s spicy, but not too much so. It’s high in protein, which makes it filling, and it’s low in fat, calories and has only 1 WW Point.

The recipe, adapted from the NYT Cooking section, calls for 1/4 cup of olive oil, but I cut that down to 1 Tbsp., plenty to sauté the onion and garlic. It also includes a recipe for home made taco seasoning but states that you can use packaged seasoning instead. I intended to use the packaged seasoning but left the supermarket without it. Lo and behold, I had all the ingredients for the home made version, which contains no salt. Note: the packaged version contains salt, so be mindful when adding salt while cooking.

We like spicy foods, so I used one can of hot diced green chiles and one can of mild. If you're spice-shy, opt for the mild version only.

This makes enough for 6 servings. If there are just two of you or you live alone, fear not. Grab some freezer containers and divvy this up and freeze them. Your future hungry self will be glad you did.

Chiles come in both mild and hot.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. lean (90% or more) ground beef or turkey

1 (1-oz.) packet taco seasoning (or home made)

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chiles

1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained nd rinsed

2 (15-oz.) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups frozen corn

Handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Taco Seasoning, enough for this recipe

1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder, to taste

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

In a large Dutch oven heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Increase the heat to medium, add the ground meat, breaking it up with a spoon, and brown until all the pink is gone, about 5 minutes. Season with salt (about 1 tsp.) and black pepper. Add the taco seasoning and stir for 1 minute. Push the meat to the sides of the pan, making a little space in the center, and add the tomato paste. Cook to deepen the color, about 1 minute, then stir everything together.

Add the green chiles and their liquid, and the pinto and black beans. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices and the broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the frozen corn and cilantro. Cover and simmer until the corn has heated through, about 10 minutes. Thin out with broth or water if necessary. Serve with your choice of toppings.

Serves 6

WW Points per serving: 1