Mom on a Budget - TVP Taco Soup

 I love making Taco Soup. It is such a quick and easy meal to prepare and is a winner amongst most people (some members of my family excluded... but only because of the onion)

I first tried making Taco Soup when I was eating a vegan style plant based diet, (I have since discontinued my vegan diet because I found it very restrictive and living in a completely omnivorous home, I found all the extra food prep and cooking too much for me while being pregnant, although I rarely eat eggs, meat and opt for milk alternatives as I am lactose-intolerant.) and I am still asked by some, "How do you make Taco Soup without the beef?" The answer? TVP.

Textured Vegetable Protein is a highly nutritious soy product. It is incredibly wealthy in complete protein and contains no fat, so it is an excellent alternative to meat. Although TVP doesn't add much flavor, it's low in fat and calories, contains a wealth of complete soy protein and it's a good source of dietary fiber. You can use TVP as an extender in meat or protein patties and meatloaf, stews and soups. It works great as a protein additive for health bars, salads, cereals, baked potatoes and stuffing. It is very easy to prepare and takes on the flavor of whatever recipe to which it is added, making it an incredibly versatile addition to a wide variety of dishes.

Anyhoo, enough babbling about TVP - on with the soup!

I've chosen this recipe because it is insanely easy to prepare, cooks quickly, is healthy, nutrient dense and is one of the best friends a budget saavy mom (or anyone) can have. It also makes a decent sized batch of soup and it freezes well.

 For this recipe, you will need:

• Roughly 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (or oil of your preference)
• 1 decent sized onion, chopped
• 1 796ml can of diced tomatoes
• 1 540ml can of black beans
• 1 540ml can of six bean mix
• 2 cups unprepared (dry) TVP
• 2 cups vegetable stock (or water or stock of your choosing)
• 1 341ml can kernal corn
•  1 package taco seasoning (or 2-4 Tbsp of your own taco spice mix)
• Optional - 1 540ml can of red (kidney) beans
  

As much as we ALL love music, sometimes the music our own bodies (or maybe, that of your spouses) isn't quite appealing. If you want to avoid the "Musical Fruit" effect, rinse those beans, and rinse them really well. It will wash away all the "food" that the bacteria in your gut thrive on.

'scuse the belly!
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, chop up that onion and toss it in until it's nice and golden brown.

 

While you're waiting for the onion to brown, prepare your TVP. Follow the directions on the package, but I've found that it is pretty standard to soak the TVP in equal parts liquid. For this recipe, I used 2 cups dry TVP and two cups water (I didn't have any vegetable stock on hand) I often add more liquid, because otherwise I end up with a VERY hearty stew, and while I prefer more of a stew texture than I do soup, it turns out a bit too dry for me.

Once the onion is done to your liking, add your cans of diced tomatoes, rinsed beans, kernel corn, prepared TVP and Taco seasoning and mix that big bad pot up! I prefer to use a blend of spices to make a taco seasoning rather than buy the store bought pouches that are full of preservatives and "ingredients" that I can't pronounce.

Voila! You have a big pot of soup that will easy feed a family of four (possibly more, Baby Bird and I are the only ones in the house who eat this soup) with more for seconds or leftovers. Like I said, it freezes well too, so you can make a batch, use my muffin tin method (Found in this blog entry: http://one-eighty-loosed-a-kaboose.blogspot.ca/2013/04/mom-to-be-freezer-meal-sweet-potato.html

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cornbread!

Nomnomnom!

Signing off for now!
I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it. Don't forget to scroll down and feed the fish!

<3 Robin

PS, this cost me under $15.00 to make!