Taco Soup

Saute diced onion over medium heat in a large Dutch oven in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes. Add cumin, chili powder and paprika and saute for another minute. Add ground beef and break up with a wooden spatula, stirring to crumble and brown. Cook until most of the liquid from the ground beef is evaporated and meat is well browned.

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, corn and beans, along with oregano, seasoned salt, chipotle pepper and bay leaves; bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Taste and correct seasonings. You may want to add some black pepper, or a couple of teaspoons of sugar to brighten the tomato flavor at this point. Simmer for another 10 minutes to allow added seasonings to incorporate.

Serve with bowls of garnish close at hand, and let each diner dress their own soup to their taste. Additional hot sauce may not go amiss at this point.

This soup lends itself to all sorts of tweaking. I have occasionally added Caribbean jerk seasoning, pasilla peppers, a can of tomato paste and an extra can of tomatoes in place of the chicken broth, and even all beef smoked sausage cut in slices instead of the ground beef. You can also use it for the base for a posole by subbing hominy for the corn and pork for the beef.

And, if you want, forget the Dutch oven and put all the browned ingredients with the other stuff in the crock pot; come home to a house full of a gorgeous smell and dinner ready to eat.