Spicy Taco Soup Recipe

I don't normally hand out recipes because I'm not a cook. Well, not usually. There are about a handful of dishes that I can cook, which is why I like to use my crockpot. Crockpotting is not cooking. It is throwing a bunch of non-cooked items into a big pot and keeping your fingers crossed that it comes out cooked and tasting good.

Last week I went to a little cafe near where I dropped my mother off at her doctor's appointment. I had not had lunch and hadn't really eaten much of a breakfast, and I knew if I was going to continue to function then I needed something to fill my belly. The cafe is mostly a deli with sandwiches of all types of different varieties. They have a soup of the day and that day the soup was "Spicy Taco Soup". The lady explained that it was a weight watchers recipe and quite delicious. I had some and agreed it was scrumptious.

Later that night I looked the recipe up online. I copied it and the suggestions made by others on how to improve it. Last night I made a big pot of it and served it to my family and in-laws. No one died and everyone loved it. So I thought I would share.

Spicy Taco Soup

1. Brown a pound of ground turkey in a skillet and dump it into a crockpot. (May use beef or chicken as well. I used turkey and found it quite tasty, not to mention healthy.)
2. Add a can of Rotel diced tomatoes including the liquid. (This comes in many varieties and degrees of hotness. Because my daughter doesn't like spicy I used mild.)
3. Add a can of diced tomatoes including the liquid. (I put them in my hand and squeezed, creating a juice. I don't care for large chunks of tomatoes so this took care of the problem and it made more of a soup texture.)
4. Add a can of black beans, a can of pinto beans, and a can of chili beans.
5. Add a can of green beans and a can of corn.
6. Add a packet of taco seasoning (I used a pack and a half)Add a packet of Hidden Valley dressing.
7. Stir, cover and cook on high or low depending on how fast you need it.

Serve in a bowl with any or all of the following, depending on your tastes: sour cream, shredded cheese, taco sauce, crushed taco shells or Tostada chips, cilantro, black olives, chopped lettuce. I put all of these into individual bowls and let each person top his soup the way he preferred.
A delightful meal, but be aware that the beans can cause a little gas the next day. Enjoy!