Taco Soup

It's been a little cooler this last week and I've made several soups. I soaked kidney beans the other day and decided to make Taco Soup with them. This was a hearty, filling soup and you can play around with the ingredients that you like. This is my version.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 cups cooked or canned kidney beans (if using canned then rinse and drain) 
• One 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 can Rotel, undrained
• 1 cup corn (I used frozen) 
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Boil the cup of the water and pour over the TVP. Let sit 5-10 minutes to reconstitute.

Add all of the ingredients to your slow-cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5.

Serve with any garnishes you desire: hot sauce, cheese, scallions, tortilla chips, etc. (I added some Frank's hot sauce and a little salt.)

Enjoy!!