Trying the keto diet? This Taco Soup will help keep your taste buds from getting bored
With the start of the New Year comes healthy resolutions and hopes of dropping extra holiday weight for many. The keto diet is a popular low-carb, high fat and protein diet that puts your body into ketosis, making it easier to release stored fat. Eating keto seems to be all the rage lately, but perhaps this diet is here to stay. While I thoroughly enjoy carbs, we are embracing keto in hopes of enjoying the health benefits and losing some holiday pounds.
Benefits of eating keto are many, including all the fatty rib eyes and lots of butter and cheese, too. Counting macros and tracking food is part of following a keto diet, but we plan to just clean our diets up. Eating meat and non-starchy vegetables is pretty simple but can get boring quickly. Recipes like this Taco Soup can spice things up, and this one is simple to make. The recipe is written for a crockpot, but I’ve made it on the stove top and it was delicious.
To make this soup creamy, the recipe calls for Kite Hill Jalapeno “Cream Cheese.” Kite Hill is made from almonds, so it’s dairy-free. If you are eating dairy-free or are trying to cut down on dairy, it’s a fantastic substitute. Kite Hill is creamy, flavorful and comes in several flavors in addition to jalapeno, including plain, chive and everything – a personal favorite. You can purchase Kite Hill at Natural Grocers or Whole Foods.
Soup is one of the most comforting winter dinners because it warms you from the inside out. My husband loves soup for dinner, but most don’t have enough protein to keep me satiated. This one is full of ground beef so it keeps me full all evening. If you have no interest in the keto version of this, you can add a can or two of beans to this recipe. Onions cook down quite a bit, so that’s why I doubled them when making this recipe. This Taco Soup made plenty for us to have it for dinner three nights, and we are not dainty eaters. Keep warm, and enjoy a bowl of Taco Soup.
Adriene Rathbun is an enthusiastic Wichita cook who offers cooking classes through her business, Social. Reach her at socialcookingclasses.com or ar@adrienerathbun.com.
Keto Spicy Taco Soup
2 pounds 85/15 ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 8 ounce Kite Hill Jalapeno Almond Cream Cheese
2 14.5 ounce cans Diced Tomatoes Fire Roasted with Green Chilies
3 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnish: Whisps Cheddar “Crackers,” sour cream and avocado slices
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef with onion until cooked through. Mix in cream cheese and transfer to a crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours. Top with Whisps Cheddar “crackers,” sour cream and avocado slices.
*Recipe by Heather McDonough
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Trying the keto diet? This Taco Soup will help keep your taste buds from getting bored."