Tortilla Soup [Eat]

So Ty and I make tacos every week or two, but we almost always end up with leftovers, and I am never in love with the idea of making tacos two days in a row. Plus, it's not very portable to work. In this case, we had extra seasoned beef and black beans, so I decided to tweak a recipe for Tortilla Soup that I found.

The (local Tennessee) beef was seasoned with, um, taco seasoning (you can get it in a shaker.... I don't even want to know the sort of preservatives in it) and sauteed with onions and garlic. The soup called for beef and various seasonings, so I figured that would work. Combine that with the leftover beans, can of pinto beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of rotel, beef broth and fresh cilantro.

Then heat it for a while, let it thicken... and while you're waiting on that that, grate some cheese. We used Monterey Jack and cheddar.

Because then, since it takes a few minutes for the soup to thicken, you can eat the cheese to tide you over.

Eventually, the soup is finally done, and it's basically like a Mexican chili. Instead of crackers, you crush tortilla chips over the top, and then add the cheese (and sour cream, if you like it... I don't). Delicious.

Tortilla Soup
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned (leftover taco beef works great)
1/4 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 T. taco seasoning
1/4 c. water
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 cup broth
fresh cilantro
red pepper flakes and Tabasco, to taste
cheese
tortilla chips

If not using taco leftovers, brown the beef in a large pot and drain. Sautee onion and garlic with the beef, and add taco seasoning and water. Let mixture come to a boil, then cook over low-medium heat until water evaporates.

Add the beans, tomatoes and broth. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until soup thickens. Add hot sauce and red pepper to taste. Pour in bowl, then serve with cheese and crush tortilla chips, and any other fixings such as sour cream or green onions.