Actually "Clean" Taco Soup

I married a man who could eat anything with taco or enchilada in the name…daily. A while ago when discussing our desire to eat only food that God made, Donna (Mindful), convinced me that I needed to ditch the cans as well even if they only have one ingredient listed on the label. There’s still sodium, BPA, etc. hidden in there, and (I mean, it happens occasionally [insert wink here]) she had a pretty good argument. So then, she taught me the MOST AMAZING way to tackle dried beans…CROCKPOT! Hellooooo!! I love me some crockpot, and I never do the soaking thing. So, very quickly, because this is not the focus, this is the easy peezy way this goes down.

1.       Pour the bag of dried beans of your choice into a dutch oven/deep pot on the stove along with a little salt, a little pepper, and a couple bay leaves covering them completely with water.

2.       Technically, you should boil them about 10 minutes, but I’m not one to wait around for boiling. I cover the pot and set the timer for 20 minutes. It works every time.

3.       Pour everything, water, beans, and all into a crockpot.

4.       Let it sit on high for 3 hours or low for 6-8.

5.       When time is over, drain the beans in a big colander. If you’re using some then, take what you need. If you’re planning on freezing (that’s totally what I do), then forget about them for a while. Let them cool down to room temperature.

6.       Either use or divide however you wish (I usually get 3-4 servings from one 16 oz bag) and freeze.

Okay! I typically do this a couple times a week. I like to always have chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, etc. in the freezer at any given time. We’re not vegetarian, but we don’t eat much meat. Freezer foods are often fine when you’re looking for chemical free foods. It’s the best way to preserve and keep the goodness.

My family and I are no longer nomadic, which is AMAZING. So, I am loving all of the affordable, healthy options all over the place that I can use in my very own kitchen. When I realized all of the online taco soup recipes are filled with cans, I thought I’d add this beauty that I made last week to the cyber world. Change ingredients based on what you like in your taco soup, but here’s the real deal using some of my favorites.

You need:

A few potatoes, chopped

2-3 chicken breasts

1 serving of cooked dried black beans (I used about half a bag because we had company)

1 bag of organic frozen corn

3 stalks of celery, chopped

4 peeled carrots, chopped (For the record, I’m not a fan of baby carrots…God did not make them that way, just sayin’)

1 onion, diced

1 pepper diced

3 tomatoes, chopped

Some tomato sauce (The best way to go no canned here is to use the pouches or paper containers)

Some of your favorite salsa

About 3 teaspoons of Better Than Boullan

About 2 tablespoons of your favorite no chemical taco seasoning (I used Penzy’s Chicken Taco because it’s in my pantry now, and it’s glorious.)

All you do:

Toss everything into either a crockpot or a dutch oven. If you choose crockpot, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. If you choose a dutch oven, bring it to a boil and let it cook until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is done. Then serve with cheese, sour cream, chips, and guacamole if that’s what your taste buds are yelling out. 

YUM!! Enjoy!! 

-Hollie