Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2–4 Tbs. tallow, ghee, coconut oil or other fat
- 2 medium onions, 1 diced, 1 sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 red (or other color) pepper, sliced
- 1 Tbs. salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
- 1 Tbs. taco seasoning
- 2–3 c. cooked beef or chicken
- 15 oz. diced tomatoes (in glass jars, no BPA!) with juice
- optional: 2 Tbs. tomato paste or 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 c. cooked brown rice
- 6 c. beef or chicken stock
- Toppings to serve with:
- sour cream
- guacamole or avocado slices
- chopped red onion
- sliced sweet white onion
- shredded cheese
- fresh or pickled jalapenos
- tortilla chips
- squeeze of lime
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Crush your garlic and allow it to sit while you work to activate its health qualities.
- In a large pot, melt the fat over medium heat. Dice one of the onions and add it at this time. The other onion will be sliced and added into the broth, which will have more of a “boiled onion” taste and look more like fajitas because of the long slices. If that’s not your thing, you could dice half or all of the second onion and put it in the saute.
- Slice the two peppers and add them to the saute, over medium heat until limp and/or browned, depending on your preference. Add the garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, and taco seasoning and stir for a minute. Add the cooked beef and stir another minute.
- Pour in all the tomatoes and optional sauce, the rice, the remaining onion, sliced, and the broth. You can use 4 cups broth for a very thick “stoup” or up to 8 cups to stretch the soup further. Eye it up.
- Bring to a boil and it’s ready to serve.
- Choose some of the topping options for the presentation. I like to serve quesadillas to dip with this soup, and a side of homemade refried beans, salsa, guacamole, or Mexican beans and rice is a good fit for this meal. If you’re not yet making homemade whole wheat tortillas, cornbread or tortilla chips are nice sides as well.
Notes
I like to make stir fry the day before this recipe and make a double or triple batch of rice; then the soup comes together FAST. You can also leave the rice out and have it as an option to put under the soup. Your guests can choose to remain grain free that way.
Possible additions:
* chopped greens
* ½ c. pureed squash or pumpkin (I’ve done it – blends right in, just like I said in the “How to Use a Random Half Cup of Pumpkin” post)
Variations:
* Use regular oregano instead of Mexican.
* Add more peppers.
* Use raw meat – just slice in thin strips or small chunks and add in with the spices, cooking on high until browned, then add broth.
* Use uncooked rice instead, ½ cup dry, then cook 45 minutes until done.
* Add 2 cups kidney or black beans for more bulk and protein.