Easy Taco Soup with Quinoa

Happy 2013! I'm excited for a new year. Hope all of you are enjoying your January. One of my favorite things about Winter is making soup. This is one of my favorite soups. It's fast, easy, filling, flavorful and perfect for a Winter supper. It also comes together really quickly and freezes well. I like making a double-batch of this soup and freezing leftovers in freezer storage bags. You can just pop one of those into boiling water for 5-10 mintues and you have a hot, homemade soup for a quick meal when you are in a rush.

I'm like most people trying to fulfill my New Year's Resolution of eating more healthful and this soup is great for this.You can omit the ground beef or ground turkey if you want a vegetarian soup. I love the addition of quinoa to this soup. It makes it hearty and even more healthful. If you have never cooked with quinoa, try it! It's awesome! Quinoa is a grain that is packed with protein. You cook it just like rice and I use it place of rice in many dishes. You can buy quinoa at health food stores or at Costco. I just can't tell you how much I love quinoa--it's awesome in this soup. I also love the fresh lime juice. It really brightens this dish. Also, feel free to use any fresh veggies you like to this soup. I usually have canned goods on-hand in the winter, so I use those when I need to throw this together quickly.

Here's what you need:
-1 TBS oil (coconut, canola, or olive oil)
-1 large onion, diced
-6 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced or minced
-1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
-2.5 TBS taco seasoning
-3 C beef broth
-(2) 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added kind)
-(1) 15 oz. can of corn (or 1 C frozen corn)
-(1) 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-(1) 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/4 C cilantro leaves

Quinoa
-1 C quinoa
-2 C water or vegetable broth

Garnish
-1/2 C cooked quinoa
-1 TBS cilantro leaves
-dollop of sour cream
-juice of 1/4 fresh lime segment
-5 rice chips

1. In a medium pot combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. You can do this step while assembling the soup.

2. In a separate large soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute just until fragrant. Add lean ground beef or turkey and cook until brown. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine.

3. Add beef broth, tomatoes, corn (including liquid), beans and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

4. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork. Dish up a serving of soup, top with 1/2 C cooked quinoa, sour cream, cilantro leaves and rice chips. My FAV rice chips are Rice Works Sweet Chili. They go great with this soup. A few slices of fresh avocado would be delicious on top of this, too.

Enjoy this yummy, easy and healthful soup!

Taco Soup with Quinoa
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Here's the printable recipe.