Great Canadian Taco Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
• 1 -1 1/2 lb ground chuck or 1 -1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 -2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 6 tablespoons onion soup mix
• 6 cups water
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 3 -4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and grated
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 -4 carrots, scrubbed and grated
• 3 (10 1/2 ounce) cans tomato soup
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese
• taco chips

Recipe

• 1 in a 6 quart heavy bottomed pot, fry onion and salt until soft, add garlic and fry 30 seconds.
• 2 add meat and sprinkle with salt chili powder and taco seasoning. fry only til faintly pink.
• 3 add onion soup mix, water, tomatoes, sugar, italian seasoning thyme and barley.
• 4 add potatoes, celery, carrots.
• 5 simmer 40 minutes.
• 6 add tomato soup and cheese, stir to blend. adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.
• 7 serve with taco chips instead of crackers. my kids will crush them and add the chips to the soup.
• 8 this could easily be made into a spicy version with hot pepper flakes or cayenne added to the frying meat mixture. sometimes i also will add kernel corn at the end, either frozen or canned.