Spicy & Hearty: Pioneer Woman Taco Soup Recipe - Blend of Bites (2024)

FAQs

What is taco soup made of? ›

Taco soup is a really easy soup made with ground beef, beans, a colorful medley of vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green chiles, and corn, and a generously spiced tomato-based broth. It's got a ton of flavor and texture, but requires barely any work to prepare.

If you're looking to upgrade your taco soup into a rich, creamy meal, you could turn to tried-and-true thickeners like cream cheese, heavy cream, flour, or corn starch. But where's the fun (or flavor) in those ingredients? The next time your taco soup could use a little extra oomph, opt for refried beans instead.

Add Some Starches

The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve a smaller portion with plenty of rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, or plain starch to counter the heat. For soups and stews, raw and starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrots work well.

These fried bread chunks are called croutons. Croutons are added as a decoration and a texture differentiator. If you drink Tomato soup without this, the texture is rather bland, like baby food. It's more interesting to have croutons with tomato soup, than just tomato soup alone.

Simmer for Longer

If you have the time, simmering your taco soup for a longer period can help to thicken it naturally. As the soup cooks, the liquid will reduce and evaporate, resulting in a thicker consistency.

Whisking beurre manié (butter-flour paste) into simmering soup is the best way to thicken an otherwise too-watery soup. Add bits of the paste gradually and simmer to cook out any raw flour taste. The broth will be velvety smooth, rich, and thick.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

The best sides and toppings for a cozy pot of Taco Soup! Mexican rice, cornbread, homemade tortilla chips, crisp salads, and cool, sweet fruit pairings. Plus guac and salsas, too. Even dessert!

Turns out, the fiery chemical in hot chilis, capsaicin, likes to bind itself onto a compound in milk, which neutralizes the burn. Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy.

Will sour cream make soup less spicy? ›

You can also stir in dairy like yogurt, sour cream, milk (only if the dish isn't sour, or it will curdle), buttermilk, or kefir into a dish; the capsaicin will bind with the milk proteins instead of the nerve receptors in your mouth.

Dilute It. Another simple way to temper something spicy is to dilute it. This can be done by adding more of the non-spicy ingredients to a dish (like vegetables, grains, meat or broth) or even just by adding water to thin it out.

Use a high-quality broth or stock as a base for your soup. Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness. Add ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce, miso, or seaweed to enhance the flavor of your soup.

Add dairy.

Dairy is great at counteracting spiciness and can add a nice cooling effect. You can add milk, sour cream, or even a dollop of plain yogurt over each serving, but beware of adding and then cooking the dairy over higher heat, as it may curdle.

Chicken tortilla soup is a Mexican-inspired soup that has a tomato and chicken broth base. It is spiced with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and has a little kick from the jalapeño. It also has hearty ingredients like beans, corn, and of course the shredded chicken.

Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. For this birria tacos recipe, the meat marinates in adobo sauce, then cooks slowly in adobo broth until it's fork-tender.