Beef Taco Soup

Time = 5 min prep, 30 min cook
Servings = 4-6
From = Ken Kundert

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
• 2 (10 fluid ounce) cans Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chilies with juices
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can corn drained
• 1 (15 fluid ounce) can black beans drained & rinsed
• 1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese (I used Philly)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Toppings (optional) grated cheddar, avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips, green chili sauce, etc.

Directions

1. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge an hour or more prior to starting the recipe to let it soften up, or microwave it for 20-30 seconds to soften.

2. Add the ground beef to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, and if there's excess fat, spoon most of it out.

3. Add all the ingredients to the pot except for the cream cheese and salt & pepper.

4. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Turn down the heat so it's simmering gently for 8 minutes. While the soup cooks, prep your toppings.

5. Cut the cream cheese into smaller pieces and add it to the soup. Let it melt in (you may have to stir it a fair bit until it's fully dissolved). Season the soup with salt & pepper and serve with toppings as desired.

Notes

• You can use beef broth instead of chicken broth if you don't mind the soup being a darker color. If you have any concerns with salt, use low-salt broth.

• If you want to make this soup spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

• If you're not using Rotel diced tomatoes, you can use regular ones, but I suggest adding a can or two of diced green chilies as well (the 4 oz. size ones) since it really makes a difference in the way the soup tastes.

• Ken comments: I typically add about 1 cup of Hatch green chile sauce (from Costco).