Taco Soup (p1)

I wasn't sure what I wanted to cook last night and so I started to poke around the many recipes on my "to try" list. I happened to find this one that I saved long time ago...no big surprise its from Kalyn's blog (love her posts!). It looked really good and since I had all the ingredients, I thought I'd give it a try. Its easy and tastes great!!!! A definite keeper!This reminds me of the Santa Fe Soup recipe I have but its definitely one that I will make again.
To get the Original recipe (from the book: A Pinch of Salt Lake) or the adaptions of Kalyn's (Kalyn's Kitchen) clink on their links. Below is how I made mine.
Easy Taco Soup (p1)
(Makes 6-8 servings)

1 lb. very lean ground beef
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cans beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (what ever heat you like)
1 cans pinto beans with juice
1 can kidney beans with juice
2 T dried oregano
2 T ground cumin
2 T Chile powder
Optional toppings:
grated cheese (like a Mexican blend)
low fat or fat free sour cream
fresh chopped cilantro

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in frying pan, add ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Remove and place in a large soup pot.

In same frying pan heat second tsp. of olive oil, add onions and garlic, and saute until onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes: Add to soup pot.

To loosen any bits from the skillet add 1 cup of the beef broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Add this as well as the rest of the ingredients into the soup pot.

Let soup simmer at very low simmer 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally and adding a bit more water if it cooks down very much. (If you want a thicker soup, cook 30 minutes, then remove a few cups of soup, puree with food processor or immersion blender and add back into the soup, then cook remaining time.) Serve hot, with toppings as desired. ENJOY!