Taco Soup

I just made this the other week and it was REALLY good. Instead of filling my bowl with chips and then pouring the soup over, I poured the soup in the bowl, added 2 Tablespoons of shredded cheese, and then crunched up 3 chips over the soup. It had enough crunch, and I only added about 50 calories, instead of 200. My kids really liked this too. Enjoy!! You could also add chopped spinach if you have some. If you don't want to roast the veggies, you can chop the onions and peppers, and cut the squash in smaller chunks. I just like everything blended together.

FYI: This made about 20 cups of soup (plenty to freeze) and calculated out to 128 calories per cup.

1 pound 90% lean ground beef - cooked, drained, and rinsed (I drain it in a colander and then rinse it to get rid of any extra fat)

1 15 oz. can refried black beans

8 cups chicken broth (I use reduced fat, sodium free, no msg - or you can use chicken broth too.)

2 cups salsa

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 onion

1 green bell pepper

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds - you can use less is you want)

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 or 2 chiles peppers in adobo sauce (found in with Mexican food at the store)

garlic (I usually use 2 to 3 teaspoons of the chopped garlic)

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon EVOO

Toppings- shredded cheese, chips, sour cream, fresh cilantro

You could also add some chopped up fresh spinach toward the end of cooking time too.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and seed squash. Cut in chunks. Cut onion and bell peppers in chunks, place all veggies in a bowl. Drizzle them with the 2 Tablespoons of EVOO. Roast in oven for 40 min, stirring at least once. Let veggies cool and then puree them, with salsa and some of the broth. In a large pot, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add veggie puree, broth, meat, and beans. Mash beans against side of pot to break them apart. Mix well. Add chiles in adobo, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of the Adobo sauce (it is spicy, so if you don't want more heat, don't add the sauce.) Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes to let flavors mix. Remove chiles before serving. Serve with chips, cheese, sour cream if desired.