Creamy Black Bean Taco Soup
I made this for lunch today, and it was a huge hit. My 6 year old thoroughly enjoyed it, scooping up her bowl with tortilla chips, and both my husband and I loved it. The three year old's opinions no longer count--she isn't a credible critic for anything these days. I shunned taco soups for awhile because they always ended up tasting too salty and over seasoned. Maybe it was the packaged taco seasonings most recipes call for? I don't know. This one is different. It is perfectly seasoned, creamy, and a really fantastic meal you can have on the table, start to finish in less than 30 minutes. Put this on your meal plan for the week. I'm doubling it next time because we only have 1 bowl for leftovers--a darn near tragedy around here. Keep that in mind.
Creamy Black Bean Taco Soup
-adapted slightly from melskitchencafe.com
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (shocker, I used beef)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk, divided
- 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup, I used a blend of cheddar/monterey jack/mozzarella that I had open in the fridge)
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles (I mentioned earlier that Trader Joe's was out of these, so I substituted 1/4 cup green chile/tomatilla salsa here and it was great)
- -Chopped, fresh cilantro for serving (optional)
In a large pot, cook the ground beef or turkey over medium heat with the salt until no longer pink. Drain grease if any is present.
Add the onion powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano to the meat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the meat to a plate and set aside.
Return the pot to medium heat and melt the butter, scraping up any browned bits from the meat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly, letting the mixture brown and bubble. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk. Continue stirring while heating the mixture to a gentle simmer. Moderate the heat on the stove so the soup just bubbles but doesn't boil vigorously. Cook for 1-2 minutes to let it thicken slightly. Stir in the cheese and let it melt completely.
Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, green chiles, remaining 1 cup milk, and reserved cooked ground meat. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and whatever taco-ish toppings you like. We used more of the green salsa, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and served with chips on the side. Delish!