Long before Jessica Seinfeld was sneaking Spinach into brownies I was making my secret veggie-filled taco soup.

My kids are actually good about eating their veggies – squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower….. there is just one family member, who shall remain nameless, that isn’t a big fan. He’s the one that I need to convince. And when I say convince, I really mean sneak and lie to. Once I got the thumbs-up approval, I admitted to all the green stuff that was hidden within the broth.

So – if you have you ever loaded up on produce only to find them still in your crisper drawer a week later…. or you live with someone who calls for pizza at the mention of Brussel sprouts, then this is the soup for you.

Fill a pot with all of the fresh and frozen vegetables in the house, simmer, blend and serve under the familiar name of TACO. And best of all, this soup is gluten-free and depending on where you stop in the cooking process, this recipe can be vegetarian / vegan / grain-free / primal / dairy-free…. need I go on?

Ingredients:

3-5 lbs. of Fresh or frozen vegetables

2 cans of diced or crushed tomatoes

32 oz Broth – chicken, beef, or vegetable

1 lb of ground turkey or lean beef

2 packets of taco seasoning (I use McCormick)

2 cans of beans (kidney or black)

2 cups of frozen corn

Here is the simple how-to:

In a large pot boil the vegetables, broth and one seasoning packet. I threw in onions and fresh garlic for flavor.

Add the tomatoes. (I added some cilantro since I has some on hand – it gave it a great, fresh taste.

Simmer until all the vegetables are soft.

Puree vegetables and broth in a blender.

This thick base is delicious. It could be used as the start of tomato soup, stew, or eaten all on its own. Set this aside while the meat is browning.

Brown ground turkey or beef and add water and taco seasoning according to packet directions.

Combine vegetable base and meat in one pot.

Add corn and beans.

Warm together for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chops.

ENJOY!

Vegetarian: eliminate meat

Vegan: eliminate meat, cheese, sour cream

Dairy-free: eliminate cheese, sour cream

Grain-free: eliminate corn and tortilla chips

Primal: eliminate corn, beans, chips, sour cream, use minimal raw cheese