Tasty Bites: Bonnie's Santa Fe Soup

By Beth V

Today’s sky was grey and there was a nip in the air… a great day for soup. This recipe came from my sister, Bonnie, and it is so delicious and easy to throw together at the spur of the moment. It is one of those meals made almost exclusively from pantry ingredients. This recipe catches on like wildfire…everyone who tastes it wants the recipe. It really could not be easier to prepare.

Brown two pounds of ground beef or turkey together with a large onion that has been chopped. Here is a great video that demonstrates the onion-chopping technique that I use. It is really easy and quick once you get the hang of it. It is almost easier than using a chopper or food processor.

Drain the meat/onion mixture and return it to the pot. This part is really complicated... Open cans of black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes and add to the soup pot.

Now, add two packets of taco seasoning, two packets of dry ranch dressing mix and two cups of water. If you prefer a more frugal and all-natural alternative, mix up your own taco seasoning and ranch seasoning, tripling or quadrupling the recipe, and store in small, airtight containers. Two heaping tablespoons of taco mix is equivalent to one packet of taco seasoning and one tablespoon of ranch mix equals one packet of the ranch seasoning. It is nice to have an alternative that doesn’t include difficult-to-pronounce ingredients, but if you are in a rush, it only takes two seconds to tear open the packets and toss them into the pot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with whatever you like, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, or fresh, chopped cilantro. Cornbread is a perfect compliment. This is a super-fast weeknight meal with a delicious, slow-cooked taste. If you use lean meat, it is also very low in fat. The black beans add lots of  fiber and protein, and the tomatoes are a great source of the anti-oxidants beta carotene and lycopene.

Bonnie’s Santa Fe Soup
Yield: 8 servings

2 pounds ground beef or turkey

1 large onion, chopped

2 packets dry ranch seasoning mix

2 packets taco seasoning mix

2-3 cans black beans, undrained

2 cans shoepeg corn, undrained

2 cans diced tomatoes, untrained

2 cups water

In a dutch oven or soup pot, sauté meat with onion until brown. Drain meat and onion mixture. Add remaining ingredients to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages 6, 3 and almost 1. She is married to Jason (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, keeping peace among the kids, and whipping out gourmet meals on the side.