Taco Soup (Soy, Nut, Fish and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk and Wheat-Free)

It's back-to-school time, and that means the weather is getting cooler, autumn is approaching, and soups are going to be made more in our household, especially hardy ones!  This soup, a recipe of my own design, is exactly the type of soup that I love in the fall!  It is hardy, a little spicy, and fills you up nicely, leaving you warm and toasty inside.  I like to think of it as a merger of tacos and chili.  (Maybe I should have called it tahili or chiaco soup?  Maybe not. :) )  Anyway, this soup is soy, nut, fish and egg-free (assuming all your ingredients are), and can be milk and wheat-free (see variations).   And did I mention that the family loves it?  Yes, that's a plus, for sure!  I hope you try it and enjoy it, and that it makes your soup rotation this fall and winter!

Taco Soup

1 to 2 lbs. soy-free hamburger

1 - 2 (16 oz.) soy-free kidney beans, drained

(dark or light red or one of each)

(I recommend Bush's brand.)

1/2 to 1 package soy-free taco seasoning

(mild, hot, etc. is your choice, you can even make your own)

1 - 2 Cups soy-free salsa

(any heat)

32 oz. soy-free beef broth

(I recommend Pacific brand)

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

3 Tablespoons full-fat, salted butter

1/4 Cup soy-free, all-purpose flour

(I recommend King Arthur Flour brand)

1 to 2 Cups ( 4 - 8 oz.) cheddar or cojack cheese, shredded

(You can use another cheese of your choice, if you wish, as well.)

1 1/2 Cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 Cup soy-free sour cream

(I recommend Daisy brand.)

1. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger and then drain the meat.  (Note: Amount of meat is based solely on preference.  If you like a lot of meat or are feeding a lot of people, use the larger amount.)
     
2. In a large stockpot, add browned burger, drained kidney beans, taco seasoning, salsa, beef stock and parsley; stir well and bring to a boil.  (Note: Amount and type of beans, taco seasoning and salsa are completely up to you as those are based on personal preference alone.  I would start with the lesser amount of those first, add more beans if you want more in there, and then let the soup come to a boil and taste the mixture before adding  more seasoning or salsa.  If you don't think it has enough spice, add more taco seasoning or salsa or both, but add them one at a time starting with the one you like the flavor of more (salsa or taco seasoning).  Rule of thumb: Add the same amount of taco seasoning to this soup as you would use when making 1 - 2 lbs. of taco meat, and you should have that portion of the seasoning to your liking.  I also like to add the taco seasoning to the meat and beans and stir it well to coat before adding the other ingredients, but that's not necessary.)
      
3. In a small skillet, melt the butter and add the flour, cooking and stirring it for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. (Note: You are making what is called a roux (pronounced "rue") here. You can let it get as dark as you want (the darker it gets, the more nutty the taste), but be careful as to not burn the flour.)
      
4. Add the roux to the soup in the large stockpot, bring the mixture back to a boil, and cook and stir the mixture for 2 minutes.
    
5. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese, milk, salt and pepper, cooking and stirring the soup until the cheese melts.
     
6.  Remove the pot from heat and blend in the sour cream before serving.  (Note: You can dollop the sour cream on top of individual servings vs. blending it in if you so desire.)

This recipe yields around eight 1 Cup servings.

 Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using substitutions.  Thank you!):

• Milk-Free: Use dairy-free butter, sour cream, milk and cheese (SoDelicious, Earth Balance, Daiya and Melt are some good allergy-friendly brands, and you can check out some more here) or just leave any or all of them out.  You can even leave the roux out, but your soup will not be as thick.  If you do decide to keep the roux, you'll have to make it with some kind of fat, though, so keep that in mind.  If you leave the milk-out, you will need to up the stock amount to 5 1/2 - 6 Cups.  There will be no cheese flavor, obviously, if you leave out the cheese, but it will still be a good taco soup.  Also, you'll have to make sure your taco seasoning is dairy-free (some do contain dairy).
    
• Wheat-Free: Use a gluten-free flour blend of choice, potato starch or corn starch in place of the flour.  A note on using gluten-free flour: You will need to use a gluten-free flour blend (i.e. a cup-for-cup replacement) vs. a gluten-free flour (i.e. coconut flour) so that your roux turns out correctly.  Also, you will have to make sure your taco seasoning and other ingredients are gluten-free.  A lot of taco seasonings are gluten-free now, but not all!
    
• Different Beans: If you like black beans and can have them, you can use them alongside of or in place of the kidney beans.  You can use any bean that you like in chili in this dish except for beans that are already seasoned with chili seasoning (i.e. chili bean mix), in fact, but I would not recommend using more than 32 oz. of beans in total unless you want a LOT of beans in your soup.
    
• Different or No Meat (Includes Vegan Option): If you don't like hamburger, simply leave it out or sub cooked and shredded/chopped chicken or pork or even just up the amount of beans or use an equivalent amount of mushrooms (I would use a mushroom like portobello that has a more meaty taste/texture).  You can also use vegetable or chicken stock for the beef broth, or you can even use just water.  The soup will have a different flavor using a different stock or water (it will be more bland with water and more flavorful with stock), so keep that in mind.  Also, if you want this soup to be vegan, you can use any of the milk-free alternatives listed above along with no meat and the water or vegetable broth substitutions.
    
• Topping Ideas: This soup is great as is, but you can always top it with more cheese, more sour cream, jalapeno slices, bell pepper pieces, guacamole, diced onion, hot sauce, taco sauce, crushed tortilla chips - anything you like on tacos, chili or nachos you can put on this! 

So easy, so delicious, so versatile, and so hardy!

YUM!

Enjoy and have a great (nearly fall) weekend!