Taco Soup

I had a super bowl party at my house this year. I was feeling in the mood to cook a bunch of random stuff and eat until my heart was content. What better way to do that then to have a bunch of people over and have them eat with me! It worked! : )

A couple of the guys had a bowl of it and they were making the Hmmm sound and my Dad couldn't take it anymore he had to have his own bowl to see if it was worth all the Hmmms he was hearing. It was!

Oh and I made everything the day before and just let it simmer on the stove top and people could dish up when they wanted. Soup/Chili always taste better the next day anyways!

Taco Soup
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup hot sauce, any kind you like
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts beef stock
4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green olives with pimento, chopped (this sounded gross to me - so I left these out)
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup corn tortilla chips, crushed

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with EVOO. When oil is hot, add beef and season with salt, black pepper, chili powder and cumin.

Brown the meat for 5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the garlic, onion, peppers and the bay leaf, and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Add the hot sauce and tomato paste, and cook for another 3-4 mintues. Stir in stock, bring to a bubble, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the scallions, cilatro, olives and tomatoes. Serve this mixture on top of the bowl of soup along with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.

Rachael Ray Show