Happy Cinco de Mayo! Be sure to put on a flat-brimmed hat festooned with dingle balls and bust out your maracas as you fasten your apron. Hominy is an ingredient I had never used before this dish, and probably in a trivia game would have confused with something liturgical, or musical. It is a Mexican white corn that looks like wet popcorn. Curiously, it moves through the digestive tract like a fiber cannonball, so watch out. This soup was so divine, especially as a dip for tortilla chips. After KP and I polished off the first pot, we promptly set to making a second. Ole. And Ole.
Taco Soup for Cinco de Mayo
Adapted from Penzeys Spices catalogue
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 4oz can green chiles
1 26 oz can tomato juice/sauce
1 15oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
2 15oz cans black beans
1 14oz can hominy
2 TB buttermilk ranch dressing mix* THIS IS KEY
2 TB taco seasoning (or fajita seasoning)
½ tsp black pepper or to taste
1 jalapeno, chopped and deveined
*If you were like me, needing to Google such an ingredient, Google no further, I made up my own version of this that goes like: ¼ tsp salt, sprinkle of chives, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dill, ½ TB parsley, 1 TB buttermilk powder.
In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook the onions and then add the beef to brown, 6-10 minutes. Drain well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese. Yum.
Holy amazing – this looks awesome. I had hominy for the first time last year, and gobbled up a bunch without anyone alerting me to a helpful fiber cannonball disclaimer. Worth it though.