Cheesy Taco Soup
Cheesy taco soup. Cheesy Taco Soup! CHEESY.TACO.SOUP!!!! I must tell you that I love this stuff. I know I say I love a lot of things but I SERIOUSLY love this stuff. Like this is at the top of the top of my lists of favorite things to eat. I’m pretty sure it’s the cheese. There are so many good things about the soup, but let’s face it…I’m a cheese-a-holic. Cheese makes everything better.
If you couldn’t tell by my enthusiasm, this was an instant classic in our household at first bite. I think as I was making this soup for the first time Travis gave me some quizzical looks as I started adding more and more spices and (planned) randomness to the soup. Luckily for him, and for me, the creation turned out top notch. No need for quizzical looks or uncertainty. You can be certain that you will be eating a delicious cheesy taco in a bowl before long.
If you haven’t noticed, Travis and I are huge fans of thick and creamy soups. Not convinced? Check out my creamy tomato basil soup or cheesy veggie chowder. It may not be possible for me to make a soup without the words “creamy” or “cheesy” in front of it. Challenge accepted. Just wait for it. It’ll come someday. But for now, I’m happy with my cheesy taco soup.
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce can)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups milk
- 1 can black beans (15 ounce can), drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons corn starch and 1/4 cup water, whisked into a slurry
- 3 cups cheddar cheese
- salt, to taste
- tortilla chips, for garnish
- Brown the ground turkey over medium-high heat in a large pot. Drain any excess fat. Add the onions and jalapeño and saute 2 minutes.
- Add in the spices, tomatoes with juice, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the rice. Return to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 40 minutes.
- Add in the milk and beans and heat until the soup is back to a simmer.
- Add in the corn starch and water slurry, stirring constantly while bringing the soup to a light boil. The soup should thicken with the slurry.
- Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese. Add salt, to taste.
- Serve with tortilla chips, to garnish.
- You can also make this with ground beef but since there is so much flavor already I stuck with the ground turkey!
- Keep in mind the tortilla chips are salty so I tend to add only a little salt.
