Is it just me, or do you feel a bit sad for your kids that they're back to school after a long break? I mean, I feel kinda good for me that I have the house to myself for at least a few hours to get as much work done as possible without having to be answer someone's burning question every 5 seconds. But I do feel their pain. Our 3 dogs are always sad and confused, too, when the kids and Brian march out the door bright and early and they're left with … me. But since I'm the one who cooks and bakes all day and occasionally (okay often) drops food on the floor that they can eat: silver lining! Apart from putting some thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies in their lunch boxes today, since it's freezing cold outside this time of year, I'll make it allllll better with some serious comfort food. Gluten free taco soup—all the flavors and textures of tacos, in a warm bowl of soup—it is!
I usually make taco soup with shredded chicken (and since you cook the chicken breasts in the soup itself right on the stove, it's quick, easy and packed with flavor), but ground beef does seem more like traditional taco fare. I leave that choice to you!
And if you've got any sort of New Year/New You sort of resolution going on, the roux that thickens this hearty soup is made entirely with heart-healthy olive oil.
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, as almost all of them are straight off the supermarket shelf and into your saucepan. But with just the right mix of herbs and spices, this gluten free taco soup tastes like home. Stay warm, friends!
Gluten Free Taco Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (56 g) extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
5 tablespoons (45 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)
1 28-ounce can tomato puree (or whole, peeled tomatoes, pureed with their juices until smooth)
3 ounces (1/2 small can) tomato paste
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 ounces (1/2 can) diced (mild) green chiles
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, pressed between your fingers and palm to release oils
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts*
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces frozen whole kernel corn
1 15-ounce can refried beans**
1/2 cup sour cream, for serving
4 ounces shredded cheese (a combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses is nice), for serving
Crushed gluten free tortilla chips,*** for serving
*In place of chicken, you can serve the soup with 1 pound of lean ground beef, browned in a clean, heavy-bottom skillet until no pink remains.
**If you don’t have refried beans, you can use another 15-ounce can of canned black beans, drained (not rinsed) and pureed.
***I made my own tortilla chips by slicing packaged gluten free corn tortillas into 3-inch x 1 1/2-inch strips, tossing them generously with extra-virgin olive oil and kosher salt, spreading into an even layer on a lined baking sheet and baking them at 375°F for about 10 minute or until lightly golden brown all over. They crisp as they cool.
Instructions
In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 6 minutes). Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir to combine. Add the flour blend, and stir frequently until the oil is thickened and the mixture starts to become fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low, and add the tomato puree, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, green chiles, stock, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper, stir to combine well. Raise the heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Place the chicken breasts in the soup and press them down to submerge them completely in the liquid. Cover the saucepan with the lid, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout (about 8 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the chicken breasts). Uncover the saucepan, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred the chicken with two forks while it’s still warm. If you are serving with ground beef instead of chicken, skip this step and proceed immediately to Step 3.
Add the black beans, corn and refried beans to the soup, and stir to combine, making sure the refried beans are incorporated fully. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with shredded chicken (or ground beef), sour cream, shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
Lindsay says
I make a version of this soup using pumpkin puree instead of the refried beans. Everything else is pretty much the same. You can barely taste the pumpkin, but it helps to thicken up the soup and provides a great dose of vitamins!
Nicole Hunn says
Interesting, Lindsay!
Lucy says
Meet our Taco, but we don’t make soup with him…XD
Lucy says
We have 2 feet of snow here, schools are closed, and power is still on for now… Happy New Year!
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, hi, Taco! I would never, ever dream of making soup with him, Lucy. I promise!
Theresa Rey Shaul says
Do you have recommendations for making this into a crockpot meal?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Theresa, yes definitely! You could sauté the onions in the oil on the stovetop and add the flour to make the roux, and transfer the mixture to your crockpot. Continue with the recipe as written up until you add the chicken, but add the beans, corn and refried beans before you add the chicken. Add the chicken, cover and cook on low for about 5 hours or until the chicken is opaque. Then shred the chicken and serve!
Jennifer S. says
I am SOOOO glad everyone is out of my hair! :)
This looks great – thanks so much for bringing us quality GF meals!
Donia Robinson says
Ditto, Jennifer. Except my high schooler still has today off since they have a teacher in-service day, and my husband works from home Mondays. And apparently there is likely to be a snow day tomorrow. :( I mean, yay?
Nicole Hunn says
I hear you, Jennifer! I was happy for myself to see them march off to school, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit badly for them since they were so miserable to go back! :)
Lauren Morra says
Yum! I LOVE taco soup. I am a little sad when my husband returns to work after being home for a while. We have so much fun together. It is seriously unfair the cats race to greet him at the door when I’ve been the one playing with them throughout the day. Looking forward to a warm bowl of this soup.
Nicole Hunn says
Having my husband home for a couple weeks sounds like a great thing in theory for sure, Lauren! It takes some getting used to, though, and by the time we hit our stride, he’s off to the office. :)