Thick and Hearty Taco Soup

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I always hesitate to tell David what's for dinner when the answer is "soup."  Why?  Because the typical "man" complaining begins.  There's usually not enough meat for him...I've mentioned before how he likes to say "something's gotta die" when it comes to his meals.  Then there's the whole veggie side item issue.  David HAS to have a veggie in every meal, otherwise he gets vewwwy cwanky.  And no funny business on the vegetable either; no obscure vegetable that he's never heard of and would be wary to try.  It needs to be something like green beans, broccoli, corn, etc.  So, it was no surprise when he asked what was for dinner the other night and I got a whiney response when I said, "taco soup."  However, when he asked about the veggie, I promptly answer "corn."  OK, so good so far...well, maybe not good, but doing OK.  He was already slightly foul, but this could turn out all right.

In the end, this turned out fantastic!  This soup is super quick and easy to make; it only took me 30 minutes!  And the flavor...well, let's just say that David asked, "Was this in the crock pot all day?"  Nope...in a pot for 30 minutes.  The flavors melded together very well and it had a nice kick.  We both went back for seconds.

I forgot to take any pictures of this soup, but the consistency is very thick and hearty.  David described it as similar to a chili with corn in it.  Eh, it's more complicated than that...but hey, that's a good simple description for ya!

Here you go!

1 pound ground chuck
1 large onion, chopped (I didn't have any onion, surprisingly enough, so I used some minced onion)

2 (15.5 oz.) cans chili beans, undrained
1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz.) enveloped Ranch-style dressing mix
1 1/2 cups water

1. Cook beef and onions in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat is browned and onions are tender, stirring until meat crumbles; drain.

2. Stir beans and next 7 ingredients into beef mixture; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon soup into bowls; top with desired toppings.

Possible toppings: corn chips, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese.