Taco soup is an easy to make tummy warming treat.

Although hot soup on a cool day is an especially welcoming pleasure, this soup will be welcomed any day and in any weather.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 - 16 ounce can tomatoes
1 - 16 ounce can tomato sauce
1 - 4 ounce can green chiles (optional)
2 cups salsa
1 can kernel corn with juices
1 - 16 ounce can pinto beans
1 - 16 ounce can kidney beans
1 package taco seasoning mix
3 cups water

For garnish:
cheddar cheese, grated
taco chips
sour cream

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. When well browned, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese, taco chips, and a dollop of sour cream.

Makes 8 servings.

• If you are really short of time, just cook the soup for 30 minutes. I find that letting it simmer for that extra half hour blends all the tastes together even better, but it still works well in just 30 minutes.

• Substitute ground chicken for an even lower calorie soup.

• Using reduced sodium taco seasoning helps cut down the sodium content of this recipe.