Saturday, February 23, 2008

Original Taco Soup CrockPot Recipe


Day 54.

I'm calling this the "original" taco soup recipe because it is the very first taco soup crockpot recipe I tried.

That makes it the original.

This was the recipe that made me fall in love with my crockpot. I first came across it a hundred million years ago on a message board. Carmen posted it. I have seen different variations, but in my not-so-humble-opinion, this one is the very best.


The Ingredients:













there are a lot of cans. recycle. make Al Gore happy.

--2 cans of kindey beans
--2 cans of pinto beans
--2 cans of corn
--1 large can of diced tomatoes (I have no idea why the can wasn't in this picture. I know I put it in. This is a mystery.)
--1 can tomatoes and chiles
--1 packet taco seasoning (if you are gluten free, stick to McCormick)
--1 packet ranch dressing mix (make sure there isn't hidden gluten, I went with Hidden Valley)
--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)
--shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment (optional, unless you're in my house. then it's mandatory.)

The Directions:

--brown meat if you are going to use it
--drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)
--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat
--drain and rinse the beans and add
--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans
--stir.

cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.


We brought this to a PTA potluck dinner this week and it was well-received.

I used painter's tape to secure the lid. I'm resourceful that way.

77 comments:

ginny said...

this is my favorite taco soup, too. I've served it at birthday parties and have brought it to many potlucks.

Lisa said...

This is my favorite too, except I've never used the ranch dressing mix! Might have to try that.

I originally heard of this soup as Friendship Soup, kinda like Stone soup. When a bunch of women gathered together, each one would bring one part of the ingredients. Two cans of beans, the tomatoes, whatever. The soup can actually be cooked quite quickly on the stove top while the women did whatever they came together to do. Lunch was served pretty quickly and no one person footed the bill for the entire meal.

Crockpot Lady said...

ginny, we have served it at birthday parties, too.

lisa, the ranch gives it a neat tangy twist. I love the idea of making it into a stone soup. the kids make stone soup often at school, but this way would taste a lot better.

xox
steph

Anonymous said...

I have been making this recipe for years but with 2 changes. My recipes calls for adding 3 cups of water (Still taste filled because of all the seasoning). And then also after dishing it up...we break tortilla chips up to throw in our bowls. It adds the last flavor of taco to the whole thing.

Love your blog and your sense of humor! ...Shelly

linda said...

I am on my way to whole foods and will be picking up the ingredients for this soup.. thanks for sharing..

Amie said...

This one's excellent. Made it a bazillion times, myself! It's always better the next day. Love it!

I've not tried the ranch though, so next time, I'll totally do that!

Canadian Saver said...

This looks absolutely delicious! And easy too :-) Perfect for freezing, bringing to work and I'm sure if one varied the toppings and dippers (bread, chips, etc), you could eat it for a whole week's lunches without getting bored.

Amy J said...

Yum, I have this recipe and love it! Never thought to make it in the crockpot though. :) BUT, that's not what I really had to comment about....

What I REALLY HAVE TO comment on is the painter's tape....because I just figured it was there to keep the hubby from lifting the lid to check it (mine ALWAYS does that with ANYTHING I'm cooking!!! *sigh*) Also a great way to keep him from sneaking in more and hotter spices!!! Hee hee hee!!

My Ice Cream Diary said...

This is almost identical to my taco soup recipe except that I also add sauteed onions and top it with fritos chips. SOOOOO delish!

loloandpooh said...

To my Guru,
used my crockpot twice this week. First for your pb brownies, forgot to put the chopstick in the lid until the second hour. They didn't come out that great but not so bad that I would throw them away! Gotta use the chopstick. And second for some mystery meat that was in my freazer. I think it was flank steak but I'm a vegitarian, so what do I know. Threw in a potato and some carrots with onion soup mix. When my meat eating husband comes home I'll let you know if it worked.

Definately going to make this taco soup (after all, the crockpot is out)!

kay said...

haha!! we had this for dinner last night!

i used black beans instead of kidney and hominy instead of corn. oh and i had cooked chicken breast so i used that. yummy yummy stuff. but i never think to put it in the crockpot. duh!

oh and we at lots and lots of jalapenos! mo' hotta mo' betta!

Tara said...

this one looks like a keeper!

Disneypal said...

I love this soup and make it quite often, the only thing I do different is I use black beans instead of pinto beans. But it is good either way.

Another thing that is good about this recipe - very low fat !

Cassie said...

This sounds yummy...I will be trying this one this week...

Preds Girl said...

Thanks for the organization in this site! I appreciate the format...with a picture of each dish, ingredient lists, verdicts, etc.

I found your site from the food blogroll site.

Thank you so much for the effort and time you put into it!

emtsgrl said...

My family loves this soup. I have never made it in a crock-pot though, but I'm going to next time I make it!

Kristine said...

I love that you call this the original :) It was my "original" crockpot favorite, too. Even my DH knows he can put this soup together! The ranch is the secret!

Alise said...

This sounds fantastic! It is cooking in my crockpot right now :)

Jessica said...

Hi, Steph! I love your blogs. You have the best sense of humor! I'm 23 and have never used a CrockPot, but after reading your blogs, I'm definitely going to start. I actually have this soup in the crock right now! It's only been going for a couple hours, but it already smells good and looks good! I'll let you know how my family likes it when it's done! BTW, I will be crumbling some tortilla chips on top, as well as the cheese and sour cream!

Crockpot Lady said...

Hi Jessica,

this is a great first-time-crockpot recipe!
you'll love it. the leftovers make fantastic burrito filling, too.
xox
steph

Aubrey said...

Just found your site this week and I already LOVE it! Thank you so much for all your work. I have this soup in the crock pot right now.

Veggiemomof2 said...

I thought the tape was to keep the family out of it until dinner time! LOL

Leann I Am said...

THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! I cannot believe how yummy it was...or how EASY! Thank you so much for sharing this one! Between five people, we almost finished off the entire thing! That was almost 6 quarts!

Steph T. said...

We just ate this for dinner! Heaven! My daughter who hates ANY kind of beans...ate a whole bowl full! We ate it with tortilla chips, ours was a bit thick, because I used dry beans and added black beans as well...

Wonderful! Thank you!!!!!!!

Niagaracat said...

Really good but wouldn't call it a soup as there is not enough liquid to make it a soup. Excellent source of fiber and had enough leftover to give some to a needy neighbour and her family.

Mandy said...

This is very similiar to the taco soup recipe I've been using since 1998. I just made a crockpot full this morning and let it simmer all day. Yum! I'm posting mine later this week.

Anonymous said...

I found this recipe years ago, somewhere, but the gal called it 'Santa Fe' Soup. She got the recipe from her dad. I also use black beans and make cornbread to go with it. The sweetness of the cornbread nicely offsets the spicy. Ours is soup on day 1 and stew consistency thereafter. Never thought of making burritos. Hmmm...

Erin Emigh Stanford said...

This may sound crazy, but I hate any beans that have the consistency of pintos or kidney beans. I really want to make this soup, though. Do you think I could just omit the beans and it would be ok?

Crockpot Lady said...

sure! give it a try!
xox
steph

Alyssa said...

I want to do this recipe soooo badly...I love beans but my hubby is bean free....

what could I use to help fill the empty space if I left out the beans?

Crockpot Lady said...

Hi Alyssa,
you can add more ground meat, if you'd like. Without the beans it will be "soupier," but the flavor will be the same.

--steph

Alyssa said...

Maybe extra meat, served over steamed rice!? yuuuuummm

Teresa Griffin said...

Looks tasty. Can't wait to try it!

Be careful with that tape. I once taped a sign on the lid of my crockpot that said "Do not lift lid!" and the tape cooked onto the pot! I still haven't gotten the sticky off!

Evonne said...

I put in several frozen chicken breats and cut them up when they are cooked through. The sour cream makes the meal! and we add Fritos! sooo yummy :)

Missy said...

I made this yesterday for dinner - very yummy! Our 5YO even liked it (after insisting he did not like taco soup, which he's never had before! lol)

Made minor changes though...I used our usual taco seasoning recipe, which is a palmful of both cumin & chili powder (approx 1 tablespoon) along with 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeno, and about 3 cloves garlic (this is Rachel Ray's "super nachos" recipe!) Oh, and used black beans instead of kidney...don't like kidney beans! Next time though I think I'll use just 2 cans of beans, and add a little beef broth so it's soup-ier.

Tonight is the Korean ribs. Hubby laughed when I said I was using the crockpot. Little does he know how much more I'll be using it now! ;) I think the crockpot has seen more action in 2 days then it has in the last year! hehehe (wow this was a long comment. lol)

Anonymous said...

I made this tonight for the first time. I made a mistake and bought black eyed peas instead of pinto beans - but I don't think it made a huge impact. I also used some tortilla chips and monterery jack (as i had no cheddar) cheese. Sour cream is a wonderful addition as a garnish.

I have heard of this recipe, but have never fixed it...we loved it! (my 4 yr old wasn't too fond of the beans) As I gear up for Thanksgiving, it was an easy meal to prepare. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!

rbmunki423 said...

So...I am quite the beginner cook. My fiance, fiance's aunt, fiance's aunt & future father-in-law all liked this (rare to find) and I didn't find it half bad either.

I love the fact that w/a little prep the night before dinner is done when I get home from work. Only curiosity is how do you get around doing a good amount of prep each night (or morning) still? Or is it okay because you're not truly cooking over the stovetop or oven?

It's 7:30 am & I have tonight's dinner ready to plop into the Crock Pot just add the h2o to the buffalo lasagna & fiance's going to start it in time for it to be done (after setting the 20 minutes after done cooking) for us to eat when I get home from work. :-)

Anonymous said...

I bought all the ingrediants for this a couple weeks back (or so I thought I did...). I ended up buying black beans instead of kidney beans, so finally I remembered to pick them up last night. So I go to throw everything together this morning and apparently I have used the corn in the past two weeks... LOL oh well, I threw in a can of water and some frozen mixes veggies. Won't be the same, but I love the idea. And I love your blog! Thanks!

Crys said...

I stumbled upon your blog tonight and have enjoyed browsing the recipes! I have a recipe that I love (it's actually a Weight Watchers recipe!) that is almost the same as your Taco Soup...called Tex Mex Soup. It uses 3 cans of tomatoes, 3 cans of beans (I use 3 different kinds for varied color/texture) and only 1 can of corn, plus adds in a bit of chopped onion and celery. I don't drain the beans or the corn (making it even easier!) It makes a BUNCH of soup, but it freezes really well. I can't wait to try it in the crock-pot!

Anonymous said...

I have made this a few times. Delicious and makes lots and lots. My husband does not consider soup to be "dinner" so I put it over brown rice pasta. Somehow that turns it into dinner for him.

Thank you for a full year of recipes. I have pointed many people to this site. All of them have been giddy with excitement

Anne said...

This soup sent me to the hospital!!!I was having a major craving for something spicy so I used hot rotel and hot taco seasoning and oh my goodness it was so spicy but I loved it. A few of hours after I ate a couple of bowls of soup I went into labor (something about spicy foods inducing labor) so thanks for the great recipe and for sending me to the hospital (in a great way) By the way I think you are hilarious and I love your blog.

Frogmama said...

Please disregard this comment if you have heard it before (chances are you have) BUT to keep the contents of the crockpot from spilling do you put Saran wrap on it? Our church has a crockpot potluck a few times a year and I've mastered that whole trasport thing. I leave the lid off for several minutes, tear my saran wrap off and fight with it to straighten out, moisten the rim with a wet paper towel and put the saran wrap LOOSELY over the crock. Then I replace the cover. It has saved MANY spills (its kinda neat when you get to the place your going with it to look at the Saran wrap and see you would have had a mess, lol. I'm really enjoying this blog - I heard of it a few times off Jane4girls' website but this is the first time I've been here - I've been missing out! Thanks

PS - I wish my kids wern't so picky - my 6yo dd just hates casseroles and stuff. The only crockpot thing she likes is when I make Beef au jous (different than your recipie)--AND she dosn't dip it! (that's the fun part!)

Betty K said...

I am going to my kids/grandkids later today, and said I'll bring dinner, so they can work outside longer.

This morning all I had in the house was chicken and cr of mushroom soup and noodle kind of ingredients, thinking of a casserole. Then I opened your blog and wala! taco soup sounded so much better. I just got back from the store (kidney beans and french bread to go with) and the crock pot is now cooking away. They will love it!

Also orange jello with peaches, haven't made that for years. Six yr old will love the jello too.

amy and the bad cats said...

seriously, this soup was DELICIOUS! i modified the recipe a bit, but this recipe is definitely a keeper! thanks!

Lori S. said...

I will make this again. It was dead easy, mostly uses things I have on hand all the time, required very little cleanup, made a good quantity, and everyone ate it (even the "I don't like beans" kids)!

I used diced tomatoes with jalepenos, so it was quite spicy and that kind of covered up the taco flavor. Next time I will follow the recipe as written. I kept the ground beef on the side and let people add it to their bowls, as I eat vegetarian but the rest of my family does not. Topped it with tortilla chips and sour cream. Great for a cold winter night!

Granny's Daughter said...

I got a slow cooker for Christmas. Daughter picked out this recipe. It was GREAT!

I'm not a cook (not by any stretch of the imagination), yet I made this and it was amazingly good. We got dinner for 3 twice and lunch for 3 once. (I used 1.5 lbs of chopped meat.) I also made (instant) rice to serve with it (we tossed it into our bowls of soup) and had some Tostidos scoops and salsa on the side.

I will definitely make this again.

One thing I would suggest is you add the word "stir" before "cover and cook" (we non-cooks need to be told).

Anonymous said...

I just made this recipe!!! Awesome, healthy, delicious and can easily make vegan!!!! Great job on your site, thank you so much!

Patty said...

This sounds fantastic but my kids don't like spicy foods. They don't mind a mild kick but anything more and they go hungry. How spicy is it?

Granny's Daughter said...

@Patty
Choose a mild taco seasoning and it should be OK for kids.

ksp said...

Excellent! made it last night. I agree with pp that you should add stir for the non-chefs out there. I didn't stir and had a layer of stuff when I came home from work. I added some more water, stirred, and put it back on low for a little while. It was delicious!

Heather said...

A year after you started and I have just found you!! I recently became a stay at home mom (to my 2 year old stepson) and while I SHOULD have used a crockpot all those years in the hospitality field when I was never home, I didn't. Anyhow, have bookmarked almost every recipe in a folder to try. Made the taco soup last night!! The little one of course had a grilled cheese. His dad and I have very different tastes but we both LOVED it...and had plenty for leftovers and freezing. I preferred mine with a little water mixed in my bowl and heated up as a soup...and he used tortilla chips as spoons. Needless to say, thank you for alllll these recipes. Let's see if I can have the same success with each new one I try :)

Anonymous said...

Wish me luck - I'm trying this one tonite...It looks like a winner. It smells really good. Hopefully my boys like it- they can be a little picky but since they love tacos and have started to like
cowboy beans I'm trying this one out.

Bridget said...

I love taco soup! but I have never added ranch dressing mix.I have done both shredded pork meat and ground beef at different times. I also added a cup of rice and an extra cup of water and we eat ours like a nacho type dip. My kids love to have a plate full of chips and taco soup to pour over and eat! I was thinking of blogging this and saying make sure to rinse and recycle all of the cans, and you already said in yours. lol

LadyConcierge said...

I just made taco soup for the first time 2 days ago! the recipe came from my fiance's cousin, who posted it on her blog: the foodconnoissorges.blogspot.com.

I used ground elk instead of beef and added hominy and chopped onions. It is incredibly hearty and my nutrition analyzer gives it an 'A' grade.

Andrea said...

Love the smarty pants painters' tape. I have one of those zip-up crock pot cozies, and I figured that would be enough when transporting a half-full pot of pinto beans home in the back of my car. Nope. Wrong. The beans spilled, and my car reeked for about 6-8 months, despite all the cleaning I did. It was super gross.

kimber p said...

I'm so glad I found this recipe today, this is what I'm making for dinner on a lazy Saturday.. :)

momof5 said...

Looks like a great recipe. I recently got a crockpot and just tried your homemade yogurt idea - awesome. Just wanted to point out that in the picture you said the can of tomatoes was missing - it's not - it's there top can on the right! Don't worry - I totally ge the mommy-brain thing - it happens to me all the time :)

Sharon said...

I LOVE the look of this! I am going to try it in the next couple of days. We live in Australia and so there is no Hidden Valley here. Although I do actually have some in the cupboard (2 sachets) from when mum was over there last year. I LOVE it so I am not sure if I want to add it.

Any ideas on an alternative for it?

Blessed Mom said...

I'm SO glad I found this site! I got everyhing prepped tonight and I'm taking it to our Wednesday night church supper tomorrow. I have no doubt it'll be fabooooo! I look forward to trying all of your recipes! You're now a favorite, *whoop whoop* (I know, I'm dating myself with my Arsenio impression).

Anh said...

Hi Stephanie!

I made this yesterday and served it with rice, had it with tortillas for today's lunch and tonight we ate it with corn bread! The corn bread is my favorite - you've got to try it, it is really really really good! I can't wait to make this at our next potluck to share with friends. Thank you for the great recipe.

Pam said...

This may be a silly questions, but I just wanted to double check. Did you drain the beans first. I was worried if you did there wouldn't be enough liquid(even though I am always amazed where the liquid comes from in crock pot recipes). I didn't used to like beans, so I am new to cooking with beans.

Crockpot Lady said...

Hi Pam,
not a silly question at all! I drain and rinse the beans for this recipe. The consistency is more like chili than soup, but that's the name it had when it was given to me! Extra liquid does accumulate during cooking.
xoxo steph

Joscelyn said...

This is in my crockpot right now. I used the salsa ranch mix. Can't wait to try it! Yummy.

Julianne said...

This was AMAZING! It's my family's new favorite meal. Thanks for sharing the recipe, you rock! Also, do you have a recipe for some really good gluten free cornbread? I haven't been able to find any good ones online...they either have a weird consistency or they aren't salty enough. Thanks for any help you can give me!

Anonymous said...

To Julianne -
My DH and I love the cornbread recipe on the Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix bag. I hope you like it.

To Steph - I love this blog, and have turned so many people to it. How wonderful that almost everything you've done is gluten-free. You have really been a big help to a couple of newly diagnosed folks I've sent your way. Thanks a bunch for all you have done and continue to do for us. Everything I have tried has been absolutely delicious!

Chelle said...

I made this over the weekend. My husband and son LOVED it! I thought the amount of soup would be too much for just the 3 of us. We all had 2 helpings each and then again for lunch the next day. Amazing! Thank you so much.

Krys said...

I have made this soup 3 times now and just noticed the instructions to stir! I have never stirred this before cooking and it has always turned out fabulous. I am making it again today, and will stir it this time to see if there is a difference. Stay tuned!!

Crockpot Lady said...

Hi Krys, you didn't notice it because I just added it. I got a few emails asking me to include it in the directions. I've made it both ways---stirred and not stirred. I don't remember a difference in taste.
xoxo steph

Krys said...

Ah-ha, then I'm not going crazy! Good, I think....

I probably won't stir anymore then, because it was a pain in the butt! I double the meat and seasoning packets, and use a large can of Rotel, and this makes it full to the brim of my 5.5 qt crockpot. What a mess to stir, I slopped all over! LOL!!!

Leigh-Anne said...

Thanks so much for so many great suggestions! My son is recently gluten/casein free and I have been catering so much to his nutrition needs, that the rest of the family has been eating cereal since the gf/cf foods are not the most tasty & I don't have the energy to cook multiple meals. Now I can cook for everyone all at once!!

Thank you!!!

hobbymom said...

I love this too... I add green chilis and black and green olives to mine!!

Amy said...

Any substitution ideas for the ranch dressing packet? The sodium level is too high for me.

Semi-Organized Mom said...

How many does this serve?

There are 7 of us. I have a huge crock pot 6 qt I think..something like that.

Thanks!!! I commented a little earlier, but you can't even imagine how giddy I am that I've found your blog.

Crockpot Lady said...

Hi SemiOrganized, it will definitely feed the 7 of you, with leftovers. I've served it at birthday parties, and take it to potlucks often.
I think with fixins like sour cream, cheese, and maybe some chips on the side, this will feed 12.

xoxo
steph

Lisa Canamore said...

I love this recipe! I've made it several times with many variations. Last week I made "Mexican Sloppy Joes" using gordita shells instead of buns topped with salsa & sour cream, then it turned into Taco Soup Plus, cuz it had lots of extra ingredients, & tonight for the final roll over dinner it will be Shepherds Pie. Yum~o!!!

CookingMommy said...

I made this tonight, and it was really yummy! It's very similar to a taco mac I make:

1 lb ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, undrained
1 can pinto beans (or black), undrained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of ranch dressing
1 cup of macaroni
1 can of water

Brown meat, add other ingredients, bring to boil, and simmer covered for 20 minutes. You could do this in the crockpot too except I wouldn't add the macaroni until later on. Thanks for sharing! It was really yummy, and we have lots of leftovers for another dinner.

Doug Cloud said...

Just made this last night and it was excellent. I didn't add any meat, because I get tired of meat all the time. So I just went with the basic ingredients. I poured a bowl then crunched up some corn tortilla chips into it along with the cheese and sour cream. Awesome.

Thank you.