Turkey Taco Soup with Whole Wheat Almond Cornbread!

I was asked by an Instagram follower to post my recipe for this, so here goes! I love to make taco soup. It's easy, versatile, and it goes a long way. Last night I decided to make it because I just happened to have some ground turkey on hand that I found at a good price. I didn't take pictures of the whole process like usual. I did not intend to put it in the blog originally, but I'm always happy to share what I know about making healthy comfort foods. I started with a pound of Simple Truth brand ground turkey. It really doesn't matter what brand or how lean it is. Whatever works for you is fine. I like to use lean meat for the health benefits. First, brown the turkey, then take it out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Throw a white onion and a green bell pepper(both chopped) in the pan with the drippings. Sometimes there isn't enough fat from the lean meat, so I throw in a little olive oil. Cook those until they are pretty soft and the onions are translucent, then throw in about half of a tablespoon (or a little more) of minced garlic and cook about a minute. Next, you put your meat back in and stir, then add about a tablespoon and a half of tomato paste. Stir it around until it's mixed in. Next, add your seasonings. I don't buy packets of seasoning anymore because I have everything in my pantry to make my own, but you are welcome to use whatever you like. If you are using packets, throw in a pack of your favorite taco seasoning and a pack of ranch seasoning. I make my own spice mixes. I like this recipe from rachelcooks.com for homemade taco seasoning. I used this recipe for my ranch mix from Allrecipes.com.

If you are making your own seasonings, you'll want to have those made ahead of time. Throw in the seasonings and cook them until fragrant, about a minute. I learned this trick from Rachael Ray. She always toasts her dry seasonings this way to bring out the flavor. Next add about 4 and a half cups of broth. I didn't have broth on hand this time, so I used water and 4 beef bouillon cubes. I usually use vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth. Add 3 cans of beans of your choice, rinsed and drained. I used black beans, tri-color beans, and pintos. Then add a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with the juice. Next, add either a can of corn or about a cup and a half of frozen corn to the pot. Throw in 2 bay leaves. Stir it all up, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour or more. The longer the better. You can throw in 2 handfuls of dark leafy greens toward the end to add some nutrients and texture. I like this brand because it's a mix of greens and they are sturdy!

At the end, salt to taste. You can garnish this with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, onions, and hot sauce or just enjoy it as is! For the cornbread...This time I made a smaller portion of cornbread, so that I don't end up eating it for days. I adapted a recipe from Bell's Best cookbook and used healthy ingredients I had on hand. I used a little cast iron skillet that my Mimi gave me. I love old things. It's extra special to me because it belonged to her and probably even her mother. First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Then take about 3 tablespoons of canola oil and pour it in the skillet. Put the skillet in the oven while it's preheating. Meanwhile, mix 3/4 cup of corn meal, 2.5 tablespoons of Whole Wheat flour, a pinch of baking soda, a pinch of baking powder, and 1.5 tablespoons of sugar alternative(I used Apriva). Then mix in 1 egg, 1/2 cup of almond milk, and 1 tablespoon of organic mayonnaise or vegenaise. Stir that up and add a little more almond milk until you get more of a batter consistency. You want it to drip off the spoon. If not, it will be too dry. This cornbread was a little bit dryer than others, but still good. When your oven is preheated, carefully take out the skillet with an oven mitt. It will be hot! Pour a little of the hot oil into the mix and fold it in. Then pour mixture into hot skillet and bake 25 minutes! Enjoy! Recipes are at the very bottom! MMM!

Turkey Taco Soup with Greens:

1 pound ground turkey, browned

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 T minced garlic

1.5 T tomato paste

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 packet of ranch seasoning

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 can corn, or 1.5 cups frozen corn

4.5 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth

2 bay leaves

3 cans beans, drained and rinsed

2 handfuls mixed greens

Brown turkey, set aside. Cook onion and bell pepper until soft, then add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add spices and tomato paste, stirl and cook 1 minute. Add all other ingredients(except greens), bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 1 hour or more. Add greens at the end and stir until wilted. Garnish with your favorite toppings!

Whole Wheat Almond Cornbread(adapted from Belle's Best)

3 T canola oil

3/4 cup corn meal

2.5 T Whole Wheat flour

pinch baking soda

pinch baking powder

1.5 T sugar alternative, like Apriva

1.5 to 2 cups Almond milk, add gradually to get a soupy texture

1 egg

1T Organic mayo or Vegenaise

Pour oil into skillet, set oven to 425 degrees, and put skillet(with oil) in the oven while it preheats. Mix dry ingredients, then mix in wet. Add almond milk until you get a soupy consistency. You want it to drip off the spoon. Once oven is heated, carefully take out hot skillet with an oven mitt. Pour oil into mix and fold in. Leave a little in the skillet though. Pour mix into skillet and bake about 35 minutes. The edges will pull away from the skillet toward the end. Cool 10 minutes and turn out onto a plate. Serve with butter or non-dairy spread and enjoy! If you don't like sweet cornbread, leave out the sugar. Enjoy! MMM!

#comfort #cooking #easy #Family #food #healthy #kids #southern