Crock-Pot Taco Soup (gluten, dairy, peanut, tree nut, wheat, egg free)

I don't know about other families, but when I am putting together our meal plan for the next pay cycle (usually 12-17 days depending on when payday falls) my family tends to request the same meals every week.  Those staples include baked chicken legs, meatloaf, pasta of some type, hamburgers, and tacos.  I personally like more variety, otherwise I get bored quickly.  In an attempt to give the kids the meals they want, and keep some variety for myself, I have to be creative, which lead to the creation of this recipe. 

Since we are also very busy through the week with tae kwon do and dance, plus my husbands work schedule and different homeschool activities, I love being able to dump everything into the crock-pot and have dinner ready to go when we are.  If you don't have a crock-pot, you can make this soup on the stove top. Rather than cooking for 4-6 hours, simmer for about 30 minutes.

You will need, minced garlic, 2 cans tomatoes with chilis, 2 cans kidney beans, 1 can corn, a medium onion, fresh cilantro, chicken stock, cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper, and 1lb ground hamburger (not shown)

Dump it all in your crock-pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours, though longer is just fine as well

serve with your favorite toppings. We had sliced black olives, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, shedder cheese, avocado and extra cilantro

As with most of my recipes, I like to keep it flexible so you can use what you have rather than making a special trip to the store for a missing ingredient, or having to buy items you normally wouldn't buy. Don't have kidney beans? Use chili beans or black beans, or a combination of any of the 3.  Don't have tomatoes with chilis? Just use canned diced tomatoes, or even some salsa! Or if you don't want to buy several different spices, just use a packet of taco seasoning.  I prefer to buy individual spices due to possible cross contamination and hidden allergens.  The best part about cooking, is just having fun with it and making it work for your preferences and restrictions. Remember, your nutrition facts will vary slightly though if you substitute ingredients.






Crock-Pot Taco Soup
Servings:10

1 can corn with juice
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes with chilis
1 medium onion, diced
4 Cups homemade or store bought chicken stock
1t black pepper
2t ground cumin
1T paprika
1T chili powder
2T minced garlic
1/4t cayenne pepper
1lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
1/4C fresh cilantro leaves, whole or chopped
Condiments of choice, we like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh avocado, sliced black olives, more fresh cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips)

Combine all ingredients in your crock-pot and cook on low 4-6 hours.  Serve with condiments of choice. 


Nutrition Facts (before added toppings)
Total servings 10
serving size:about 3/4C

Calories-190
Fat-4g
Carbohydrates-21.6g
Fiber-7.5g
Sugar-6.2g
Protein-16.2g