Taco Soup

Last week I pushed Mother Nature and wore sandals to work, although there was still some snow on the ground. This week Mother Nature decided to push me back and snowed. A lot. The sandals are back in the closet for a while.

Usually my lunch consists of a salad and some type of protein, but as always when the weather gets cold, I crave something warm. Monday night I decided to make Taco Soup. I didn't have a lot in my fridge or pantry because I hadn't gotten groceries over the weekend, but that's why I like this recipe. Anything you have works.

Taco Soup
1 pound lean ground chicken (or turkey, or beef)
1 large onion, diced
half of green pepper, diced
1 handful of grated carrot
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 container chicken stock
1 package taco seasoning (I actually didn't use this. I used Epicure's Louisianna Hot and Spicy mix, and salt and pepper instead.)
1 can corn

Optional: grated cheddar cheese, corn tortilla chips, green onion, sour cream or greek yogurt

1. Brown the ground chicken in a large soup pot. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until softened.
2. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down heat and simmer for approx. 45 minutes.
4. Add optional toppings and eat!

Normally I would have added more veggies and beans, but like I said, I needed to get groceries so I used what I had. It turned out great and I had lunch for a few days.