Taco Soup

Two things simultaneously happened in my life a week or so ago. A wonderful reader of this blog (Hi, Whittany!) requested that I post a soup/stew recipe at the same time that I discovered Juliet of The Broken Plate posted a Taco Soup recipe on her blog. My making of taco soup was meant to be.

This recipe is completely vegetarian, but if you'd like a meaty version, check out Juliet's recipe here. It is delicious and can be served with tortilla chips for an amazing meal.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 1-4 hours

Ingredients

One (1) package of "veggie crumbles" -- this is the vegetarian version of ground beef. I used the Morningstar brand.
One (1) package of Hidden Valley Ranch mix -- this is the only part of the recipe that is not vegan, but there are vegan versions of this out there, if you'd like to make a vegan-friendly taco soup.
One (1) package of taco seasoning
One (1) box of vegetable stock -- you can also use that fake chik'n stock for more flavor, but I didn't this time
One (1) can of black beans
One (1) can of sweet whole kernel corn
One (1) can of tomatoes with chile -- think Rotel or a comparable brand
One (1) red onion, chopped -- someone please tell me a way to chop onions without it looking like I'm watching the saddest part of a Lifetime movie!
Three (3) tablespoons of salsa -- feel free to add more, depending on how much space you have left in the CrockPot.

Directions

Like soup? This is your new best friend.

Toss the veggie crumbles and the onion into the CrockPot with a little bit of vegetable stock.
Turn the CrockPot to "high."
Once it thaws out and starts smelling good, pour the rest of the vegetable stock in.


Pour the contents of the ranch mix and the taco seasoning into the CrockPot. Mix well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix as you go.
Put the lid on the CrockPot and let cook. After about 10 minutes, turn to "low."
Let cook at least one hour, but up to four hours or so. You know how CrockPots are; the longer it's cooked, the more flavorful it usually is.
Spoon into a bowl and enjoy!

Tip
Feel free to garnish with cheese, sour cream, or anything else you'd like!