Taco Soup | June Self Portrait

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic Holiday weekend! Ours was pretty quiet, but that was nice this year! Our 4th of July festivities included  brunch with a few of my sisters yesterday morning and then lake time with the cousins later in the day. I know I’m a few days late posting this for June, but I’m excited to share this recipe with you!

Today I have an amazing, SUPER healthy Taco Soup for you. You know how they say “soup is the new salad”? … well, I completely agree. Having all these veggies cooked down makes them so easy for your body to digest. Although I love a good salad, I’d much rather eat a warm bowl of tasty soup! I found the original recipe here but have modified it to pack in even more vegetables. This soup originates from the “Trim Healthy Mama” plan, a weight loss/healthy living book. Even though I’m not completely on board with everything they suggest (Everyone is individual and I don’t think there’s any ONE way to eat!), I appreciate their emphasis on whole, natural ingredients.

A few things you should know:
1. Making this is a time commitment. There’s lots of chopping, blending and messy counters. The payoff is 12-14 huge servings of a FAST and HEALTHY meal, and time saved elsewhere in the week.
2. I like my soup zesty and just a hint of spicy. My spice measurements reflect that. If you hate any bit of spice, you should start with smaller amounts of the seasonings and work your way up.
3. You can half the recipe at first, if you’re unsure about it.
4. Don’t be scared of the okra.
5. Don’t be scared of the collagen. (But if you don’t have it, you can totally skip it and it won’t ruin the soup)
6. I eat this for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch or supper. Sometimes I eat it for two meals out of the day.
7. I’m eating this soup as I write this post.
8. The platter of vegetables in this photo weighed 25 lbs. MY ACHING ARMS.

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef or turkey (I like using one pound of each)
8 cups chopped cabbage (about 1 medium head)
2 red or yellow bell peppers, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp salt (I use Real Salt)
3 Tbsp Franks hot sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
4 oz. diced green chilis
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
24-32 oz. fresh cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head) roughly chopped
7 cups water
1 lb. frozen okra
3 Tbsp coconut oil
4 Tbsp. Collagen (I use Great Lakes brand)

Instructions:

1. Brown meat in a large soup pot. If browned meat is not at least 96% lean, rinse it well under very hot water in a colander to release all fat. Set meat aside.

2. In a medium pot, add 5 cups of water and the cauliflower florets. Bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower is tender. Blend until smooth and creamy, using an immersion blender if you have one. Otherwise, blend in small batches in your regular blender. Set creamed cauliflower aside.

3. Back in the large soup pot, add chopped cabbage, diced bell peppers and diced onion and saute until vegetables are tender. (Add ½ cup of water near the beginning if the raw veggies are sticking to the pan)

4. When vegetables are tender, add the meat back into the pot. Add spices, hot sauce and liquid smoke. Add tomatoes, chilis and chicken broth, then let simmer.

5. In a small pot, add 2 cups of water and the frozen okra. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, until okra is tender. Add coconut oil and collagen (if using). Blend until smooth and creamy, using an immersion blender if you have one. Otherwise, blend in small batches in your regular blender. There should be no little bits of okra left.

6. Add creamed cauliflower and creamed okra to soup pot. Stir and simmer to meld all the flavors.

Taste test and adjust seasonings to make it your own!  I like to put this in a bowl with a dash of extra salt, fresh squeezed lime juice, a little dollop of greek yogurt, shredded cheese and diced avocado. YUMMM.

If you make this, tell me how you like it!