Taco Soup aka Easy Chili

Yes, we've cooked since New Year's Eve, but not much and not anything that I bothered to take pictures of.

This recipe is thanks to one of my very best friends, Monica.

The idea is to make the soup/chili and serve it in a bowl with corn chips on the bottom. I personally don't like to put chips IN my stuff (soup, haystacks, whatever) because I get stabbed in the mouth by the corners on the chips. Consequently I just serve the chips on the side and people can put them in the bowl under the soup OR use them to dip with.

I've altered the original recipe a little with the addition of spices, and I often leave out the onions because a good friend in Key West is highly allergic to them. I've also been known to add chopped or sliced black olives and a small can of diced green chilis to the pot.

Also, if beans and/or vege burger tend to make you gassy, add some Beano.

1 12oz bag Morning Star Farms Burger Crumbles
1/2 large White onion (or one small white onion), diced
1 1lb, 13oz can Small Red Beans
1 15.5oz can Black Beans
1 15.5oz can Red Kidney Beans
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with jalapeños and/or green chiles
1/2 cup Scott's Homeward Bound Hot Sauce
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
2 tbs Dried Cilantro or 1/2 cup chopped fresh Cilantro (unless you don't like cilantro, then skip it or do 1/2 the amount in Oregano instead.)
1 tsp Garlic Powder (or 3 cloves diced fresh sauted in with the burger and onion)
Kosher salt to taste
(I also like to add anywhere from a 1/2 cup to a full cup of GunSmoke BBQ sauce on occasion)

Optional toppings:
Avocado
Shredded cheese
Sour Cream
Fresh chopped chives
Fresh chopped cilantro

In a large pot, place all canned items, cover and turn burner to low.

In a separate large frying pan, place burger crumbles and water on med-low and cover. As the burger crumbles are about half thawed, add hot sauce, stir, raise heat to medium and uncover. Once the burger crumbles are hot, add the diced onion and cook until onions are starting to soften. Add a little water if the burger and onion mixture gets too dry.

Raise heat under pot to med-low.

Add burger and onions to pot and raise heat to medium. Stir in frozen corn. Add cumin, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and cilantro.

Once soup is hot, serve and top with whatever you like.


I prefer sliced fresh avocado, a little dollop of low-fat sour cream and a bit of shredded sharp cheddar.