I must admit, I was skeptical of this soup when I stumbled upon it online but I really love it. It combines taco flavorings in a soup and is a great “twist” on the traditional taco night fare. I cannot find any origins of it (so many recipes online have no history or story of the soup – I know, food blogs are usually very long winded) and it seems to be a riff on taco soup which originated in the southwestern part of the USA in the 1950s. It’s quite simple and can be made in under a half hour for a quick meal. It’s called “taco twist” soup because of the spiral pasta added to the recipe but you could use any pasta shape to be honest.
The soup is a bit unusual as it contains picante sauce and pasta twists (I used fusilli) but most recipes I found didn’t contain any meat. I made it meatless and it was perfectly fine and tasty but I added some fatty vegan ground beef (I used Beyond Meat) and it brought it up a notch for sure. You can certainly leave it out but I recommend it.
I thought most recipes would use a chili bean like kidney but every recipe called for black beans. Not sure why, but you could certainly use another bean in this soup. Even chickpeas would probably work but would not be traditional.
This soup cooks quickly but actually tastes better if it sits for a bit. Even the next day, the flavors meld together a bit more making leftovers a treat. The pasta absorbs more liquid as it sits so you may want to add as much as another cup of broth to loosen it up to be more soup-like unless you like it thicker like a chili. Your call. I liked it a bit looser as a soup.
You can add so many condiments to this before eating like vegan sour cream or cheese, cilantro, chopped onions or scallions, olives, avocado, lime juice, the list goes on. You can also make this spicy from the get-go by adding cayenne pepper or leave it up to everyone to add hot sauce to taste to control their own preferred level of heat. That’s what I would suggest.
This will freeze well if you have leftovers you want to save and will generously feed about six people I would imagine. I used a 3 quart Le Creuset pot and it was the perfect size for the recipe.
The recipe calls for no additional salt to be added and depending on the broth and seasonings you use, you may not need to add any. I didn’t. The soup was perfectly seasoned as is but if you’re using a lower salt broth then you may need to add some. I always taste as I go and add salt early in the cooking process as if you add it add the end it can wind up just tasting salty.
You can use an entire taco seasoning packet or two tablespoons of taco seasoning if you buy it by the large jar like I do. I hope you enjoy this simple yet satisfying soup and it might just become an alternative to taco Tuesday!
Vegan Taco Twist Soup
6
servings10
minutes15
minutesA delicious “twist” on a taco soup made vegan!
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped medium dice
2 cloves garlic, minced fine or pressed
1 green pepper, chopped medium dice
1 12-16 oz package of vegan ground beef (see notes)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice and not drained
1 1/2 cups picante sauce
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1 packet or two tablespoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste if needed
cayenne pepper to taste, optional
- Optional Toppings
Shredded vegan cheddar cheese, vegan sour cream and cilantro, etc.
Directions
- In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground vegan beef and the green pepper and cook for a few minutes longer breaking up large pieces of the meat if needed until it’s lightly browned.
- Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, pasta, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve with optional toppings.
- Store leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Use a fatty vegan ground beef for more flavor.
- If you don’t have taco seasoning, add two teaspoons of chili powder and an additional teaspoon of cumin to the soup instead.
- The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it rests so add up to another cup of broth to loosen it up.
- You can use a mild or spicy picante sauce and adjust the heat level with this choice. Salsa would probably work as well but picante sauce is thinner so look for that at most stores.
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