Cheesy Taco Soup

I spotted this recipe on Carlsbad Cravings (because that is my very favorite place to look for recipes!) and I could not wait to make it! My family had this yummy taco soup for dinner on Saturday and we loved it! The recipe that I am going to share makes about 6 servings, so I doubled this recipe and stuck half of it in the freezer to defrost and use as a meal in the future! :) You can find the original recipe HERE.

Start by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add 1 pound of lean ground beef, half of an onion, chopped, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and a little salt & pepper to the pot. Cook the onions and meat until the meat is browned.

Once the meat is browned, stir in one red pepper, chopped up and 4 cloves of minced garlic.

Add in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and stir the mixture continuously for 3 minutes. I recommend reading ahead before adding in the flour and having the next few steps ready to add in after the 3 minutes of stirring the flour (ie. the beans, salsa, chicken broth...).

Once the flour has been stirred in for 3 minutes, add in one 15 ounce can of kidney beans (drained & rinsed), one 15 ounce can of black beans (drained & rinsed), one cup of mild salsa (I used medium salsa!) and one 10 ounce can of enchilada sauce.

Then, pour in 5 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth.

Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat leaving the soup at a gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken a little while it is simmering - I left the lid off my pot to accelerate the thickening process.

After 10-15 minutes turn the heat down to low and stir in 1/4 cup of cream cheese until it is melted (I reduced this amount from 1/2 cup) and 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (the original recipe calls for 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of pepper jack, but I just used cheddar).

Then your soup is good to go! The above picture is what my table looked like right before serving the soup - I served it with some sour cream, some guacamole, some cut up tomatoes and some multigrain chips. You can find my guacamole recipe HERE. However, if you are not into guacamole, you could serve the soup with sliced avocado - I had it with sliced avocado the next day for lunch and it was just as good!!

CHEESY TACO SOUP
serves: 6
ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 15oz can kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 15oz can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 cup mild salsa
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
5 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1/4 cup of cream cheese (reduced from 1/2 cup)
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated (or 1 cup cheddar, 1 cup pepper jack)

for garnish
sour cream
guacamole (or sliced avocado)
chips
tomatoes

directions
1. Start by heating olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add ground beef, chopped onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika and a little salt & pepper to the pot. Cook until the meat is browned.
2. Stir in the chopped red pepper and minced garlic.
3. Add in all-purpose flour and stir the mixture continuously for 3 minutes.
4. Once the flour has been stirred in for 3 minutes, kidney beans (drained & rinsed), black beans (drained & rinsed), salsa and enchilada sauce.
5. Pour in the chicken broth.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat leaving the soup at a gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken a little while it is simmering.
7. After 10-15 minutes turn the heat down to low and stir in cream cheese until it is melted and grated cheese.
8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole (or sliced avocado), tomatoes, and chips!

Let me know if you have any questions!