As the weather has gotten colder I have been drawn into the habit of making soup. Today I improvised a batch of Taco soup. I was happy with the results so here’s my recipe! :)

Taco Soup

1/2 pound dry pinto beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of hamburger
3 tablespoons of fajita seasoning (I used the recipe in Family Feasts)
1 can tomato puree

2 cups of beef broth
2 teaspoons salt, or, salt to taste
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

Cook pinto beans over medium heat for a 1.5-2 hours in an indeterminate amount of water (I would guess about 4 cups. I kept adding water as necessary).
While beans are simmering, sauté onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. When onions are translucent, add hamburger and cook through. (Try to leave the hamburger in bigger chunks and the soup will be a better man-pleaser as the meat will be more visible ;) ) After hamburger is cooked, add the fajita seasoning and tomato puree. Stir until well-combined.
Add hamburger mixture, beef broth, salt and garbanzo beans to pot of simmering pinto beans.

Allow to simmer another 45 minutes to an hour until pinto beans are soft.

Serve hot! Next time I think I’ll make cornbread and offer sour cream as a garnish. Enjoy!

———
In other news…

The sunrise was gorgeous!

I utilized my dryer and reveled in its seemingly magical powers. After this form of indulgence I remembered my large pile of mending. It has been sitting for about a month and I knew if I didn’t do it this month I would probably put it off for months (or years). So here I am attacking my mending and thanking my lucky stars my mother taught me to sew :)

Ranger took his morning nap on the couch…and was adorable.