family recipe | mrs. and the misc.

On a rainy day last week, I came home from work craving something cozy to curl up on the couch with and nosh.

A hearty, flavorful soup was just the ticket. Even my husband requested soup when I offered up that or spaghetti as menu options for the evening.

With his blessing, I immediately grabbed my go-to cold- and/or rainy-night comfort food recipe: my stepmom’s famous taco soup.

It’s something she made for us while growing up, probably on nights when she needed something easy and quick for us all. The word “easy” belies the flavor of the dish. Because whatever it lacks in culinary high-brow ingredients and complex cooking techniques, it makes up for in sheer deliciousness and quick stove-to-table eats. And isn’t that all that matters when it comes to food for our bellies?

It’s hard to trust a random blogger when they promise something to be the “best” or even “delicious,” but I insist it is the truth for this taco soup. If it helps convince you, my hubby, who usually just eats what I give him and rarely comments on anything unless he doesn’t like it, actually emphatically said … “This soup is excellent.” And he helped himself to seconds. That’s an A+ for me (er, my stepmom), and I know it.

So, without further ado, here’s the recipe (with my modifications) for your future comfort on a rainy or chilly night this fall and winter:

1. REVIEW THE RECIPE.

My Substitues: Instead of 2 cans of pinto beans, I use 1 can of black beans b/c Michael and I aren’t huge bean fans; instead of 1 can of water, I use 2 (making sure to drain the corn and beans though instead) b/c I prefer the soup to have more broth but don’t want so much bean flavor; I tried it with a fresh, diced jalapeño this time but it wasn’t needed, in fact it made it too spicy; and I’ve made it with turkey meat before and it was just as yummilicious!