'South of the Border' Taco Soup

Taco Soup!

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For today's recipe, it's time to head South of the Border!

Which border?

Well, certainly south of the Illinois border! I grew up in New Mexico and, I have to tell you, the eating is GOOD down there! From fresh Hatch Green Chilis to homemade tortillas and tamales, the Southwest has its own brand of Mexican food you really can't find anywhere else.

Believe it or not, Tex Mex is a thing! It is incredible! You owe it to yourself to try a good, hole-in-the-wall Tex Mex cafe or food truck!

For today, though, we're making healthy, inexpensive, and quick meals, using a whole chicken from our prior Whole Chicken Challenge. Just imagine, THREE whole dinners from one whole chicken! See that phenomenal video for creating a whole chicken and 10 cups of homemade, healthy chicken broth HERE!

And, as promised, you don't have to feed the same old thing night after night to your family in order to be economical. There are a million and one ways to stretch that chicken meat!

Last time, we dove into a delicious Cream of Mushroom Soup that began as an "Oopsie!" but wound up being an incredible, savory meal that we make at least once each month. In fact, we make it a bit more often when winter rolls around! If you'd like to see the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe, click HERE!

Today, we're going to stretch that chicken just a bit more with a completely different kind of flavor! Where our Cream of Mushroom would easily remind you of a cozy hunter's cabin, deep in the woods, on a stormy, cold night... this festive Taco Soup is the perfect party staple for having friends and family over!

In short, this recipe makes 2-3 dinners for four with only one third of a whole chicken (about 2 cups of shredded chicken)! You can feed a houseful or you can portion it out into gallon freezer bags, freeze flat in your freezer, and save for an evening when cooking is just out of the question!

Either way, let's get cooking!

'South of the Border' Taco Soup Recipe

Servings:

Serves 12-16

Taco Soup Ingredients:

2 cups chicken (raw or precooked)

1/4 cup The Parson's Pantry Fajita Seasoning

2 cans Cream of Celery Soup

5 cups Chicken Broth

5 cups Water

4 cups Salsa

2 cans Corn, drained

2 cans Black Beans, drained

1/2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

3 cups Dry Rice

Taco Soup Directions:

Prepare the Meat

1. To prepare our precooked chicken (or, if you are preparing from raw), add the chicken to a large skillet.

2. Season liberally with The Parson's Pantry Fajita Seasoning! (This can be purchased on this site or check out our video for our to create your own!)

3. If the chicken is precooked, bring it to temp over medium heat, mixing well with the seasoning.

4. If the chicken is raw, simply cook until juices run clear and the chicken no longer appears pink in the center. Mix well with the seasoning as you cook!

Prepare the Soup

1. Add all ingredients, including the chicken, to a large stock pot and mix well.

2. Bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, reduce the medium-low heat to simmer and allow to simmer 15 minutes.

4. Check the rice. Once the rice is softened and fully cooked, it's ready to serve.

5. Garnish with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and broken chips!