Crock Pot Taco Soup

Remember that time I wrote about my Mom's Co-Workers Taco Soup?

That is one of my most loved posts. And I'm back-atcha with a variation of that. Because every good recipe needs a crock pot version.

Oh how I labored over this. Seriously. I was worried about the flavor. When you cook it on the stove you use the same pot that the beef was cooked in. All those little bits of flavor on the bottom of the pot are in your soup and it makes it so... layered. I worried that it wouldn't read well in the crock pot. So, I tried to kick up the flavor in a few different ways.

I added an onion. Tip! Don't cut the root of the onion off before you dice it. You'll cry less. This has helped me love onions more. I only generally despise them instead of hate them with the fire of a thousand suns. Yay for people that teach me things!

I added a can of Rotel tomato with green chilies. Yes. Mmhmm. It really adds to the flavor and overall kick. It was the right decision, I tell ya.

I omitted some water and added a can of beef broth. I think this made up for the lack of flavor bits on the bottom of the pan. I truly think that if I had left it out the soup would have been a little flat. No one likes a flat soup!

Without further ado, here is my recipe for Taco Soup in a Crock Pot!

​

​1-1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 an onion

1 packet (or 1/4 cup)​
 taco seasoning

1 large can tomato sauce​

1 small can tomato sauce (+1 ​can water)​ [you may need two]

​1 large can of beef broth​

​1 can of Rotel Diced Tomato with Green Chilies (Mild)​

1 cup of carrots (ish)

1 can hominy w/ juices

​ (use only half the juices)​

[Megan's Modification - White beans instead of hominy]

1 can black beans w/ juices

​ (use only half the juices)​

1 can dark red kidney beans w/ juices

​ (use only half of juices)​

1 can whole kernel corn w/ juices

​ (use only half of juices)​

1 large can sliced olives

1 small head of cabbage

​ ​

Brown your ground beef, add in onion and salt/pepper.  Turn off the flame, add carrots and let cool. Slice cabbage and put it in a ziplock bag or tupperware and put it in the fridge. (You'll put it in later.)

​Now the real work begins - grab that can opener! Open up the can of beef broth, the cans of tomato sauce, the cans of beans (empty half the juices of each can of beans) and corn (empty half those juices too)​. 

Put the ground beef in the crock pot. Pour in all of the cans in whatever order you decide. Feel like a mad scientist. Stir it up. Add in the taco seasoning. Check the consistency of your soup - it should not look like chili and it should not look like broth-y soup. It should be somewhere in between. Add water if necessary. 

Go about your day! Go to work, run errands, whatever!

Go home and die over the smells in your house. Go to the crock pot and give it a stir. Does it look too thick? Does it look more clear brown than tomato brown? Taste it. Does it need a bit more seasoning? Add some. Add in the extra small can of tomato sauce to get the right color and maybe a little water to get the right not-soup-not-chili consistency. Add in the olives and cabbage. Let that percolate for another hour/hour-and-a-half or so. (You can also add in the cabbage and olives on your lunch hour.)

 Toppings:

sour cream

(fresh) shredded cheese

chips

chopped avocado

sliced tomato

[Megan's Note: Anything you like on a taco could easily be put in this soup. Add whatever floats your boat.

​ You can even add some extra salsa on top, whatever. The soup is your oyster! ...You get what I mean.​

]

​​

Here is my only deal: You could eat this soup without cabbage. You could eat this soup without a dollop of sour cream in the middle. FREAKING DON'T. Try it once the normal way and then if you dislike it change it up. But give it a shot. Seriously. (If you are worried about calories, get light sour cream. I do. It justifies the mountain of cheese and chips I put on top. Wut.)

ENJOY!