Taco Soup

I am a total homebody.  If I don't have to go out, I won't.  Unfortunately, I also have to feed my family, and to do that I sometimes have to go to the grocery store.

We just got back from a long weekend at my in-laws' house.  My mother-in-law has ten siblings, so holidays can get a little nutty around there.  It can be an introvert's nightmare.  Everyone in this family is wonderful, and I really enjoy all my relatives, but it can be a bit...much.  Thanksgiving this year included 26 people in one small-ish house.  So, once I got home, I pretty much wanted to pull the covers over my head and hide.  I was determined to not go grocery shopping yesterday.

But I was hungry.  And there were no fresh groceries in the house, since we had been gone nearly a week.

Luckily, I enjoy a challenge.  I went freezer spelunking and pantry raiding.  Here is what I decided to use for my soup:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups dry beans
• 2 quarts turkey stock
• 1 sweet potato (small dice)
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 canned chipotle (minced) and 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce
• 1 pint salsa (mine was homemade)

I also used a quart of water, and a mix of seasonings (no packets of taco seasoning here!):

• 2 tablespoons chili powder (we make our own using this recipe)
• 4 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt to taste

Pick over and rinse the beans.  Simmer them in the turkey stock (or whatever broth/stock you choose) until they are tender.  Use a large pot--you'll be building the rest of the soup in there.

Dice the onion, and peel and dice the sweet potato.  Saute them in a little bit of olive oil until they start to take on a little coler, then add them to the pot of beans and stock.

Brown and drain the ground beef, then add the seasonings.  Add this to the soup pot along with the rest of the ingredients.  Give it a taste to see if you want to add any salt.

Dish up the soup, and top it with cheese, sour cream, and corn chips, if you like.  I was a little worried about how the sweet potato would be in the soup (I added it on a whim when I found it in the pantry), but it was really quite good.  This makes a large batch of soup.  I had over four quarts leftover.  Not to shabby for a cobbled-together meal, if you ask me!