Quick Taco Soup with Pork Carnitas
User Reviews
5
Quick Taco Soup with Pork Carnitas
Description
This Quick Taco Soup features browned pulled pork combined with sautéed onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, then simmered with black beans, sweet corn, and tomato puree in a broth seasoned with oregano, cumin, paprika, and optional chili. The soup cooks rapidly, allowing the flavors to blend without overcooking the ingredients, preserving the texture of the vegetables and meat. Stirring scrapes flavorful browned bits from the pan into the broth, enhancing the depth of taste.
The resulting soup has a medium-thick consistency with savory, smoky, and mildly spiced notes typical of Mexican-style taco seasoning. It can be served with optional toppings like sour cream, cheese, corn chips, cilantro, or diced avocado to add creaminess, crunch, or freshness.
Passata, a pureed tomato product, can be substituted with crushed tomatoes, and black beans may be swapped for red kidney beans. This recipe can also be adapted for freezing if prepared ahead. Nutritional values consider only the soup, excluding toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion diced, or white onion
- 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), diced
- 1 can (15oz / 400g) black beans (Note 2)
- 1 can (15oz / 400g) sweet corn
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 2 tsp oregano (dried)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chilli (optional)
- 2 cups pork Pork Carnitas) (or shredded chicken, shredded, Mexican pulled
- 24 oz / 680 g tomato puree or crushed tomatoes - see Note 1, passata
- 4 cups (1 litre / 2 pints) chicken broth or vegetable broth/stock
- salt
- black pepper
Toppings (optional)
- corn chips
- sour cream
- cheese grated
- Coriander leaves aka cilantro leaves
- avocado , diced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
- Add the pulled pork and cook for 1 minute until parts of it are browned, then remove from the saucepan. Do this step even if you are using shredded chicken or another meat.
- Add garlic and onion, sauté until onion becomes translucent (2 minutes), then add the capsicum (bell pepper) and cook for 1 minute until softened.
- Return the pulled pork into the saucepan and add all other ingredients except salt and pepper. If you are making this ahead to FREEZE, see below for instructions.
- Stir to scrap the brown bits from the pulled pork off the bottom of the pan to mix in with the soup flavours.
- Bring to boil then turn down heat slightly and allow to simmer rapidly for 3 minutes so the flavours can come together. If you are using crushed tinned tomatoes instead of passata, let it simmer for a further 5 minutes to let the tomatoes breakdown a bit. If the soup gets too thick to your liking, just add a bit more water.
- Do a taste test, then season with salt and pepper. It is important to season last because different stock brands have different levels of saltiness.
- Serve with toppings of choice. The more toppings = more delicious!
Freezer Friendly Instructions
- Follow steps 1 to 3.
- In step 4, do not add the tomato passata or chicken/vegetable stock/broth. Instead, add 1 cup of water, bring to simmer and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the brown bits off.
- Remove pot from heat and set aside to cool, then pour the contents into a container or ziplock bag and freeze.
- To cook, defrost, then pour the contents into a saucepan. Add the tomato passata and chicken stock/broth. Then follow steps 6 onwards as per above.
Notes
- Passata is a pureed tomato; crushed tomatoes can be used as a substitute.
- Black beans may be replaced with red kidney beans if preferred.
- If making ahead for freezing, appropriate freezing and thawing steps are recommended.
- Nutritional analysis excludes optional toppings.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 398 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 724g | |
| Calories | 398cal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 63.9g | 21% |
| Protein | 23.8g | 48% |
| Fat | 8.8g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 22mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 2167mg | 90% |
| Potassium | 868mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 11.2g | 45% |
| Sugar | 21.6g | 43% |
| Vitamin A | 2450IU | 49% |
| Vitamin C | 83.3mg | 93% |
| Calcium | 140mg | 14% |
| Iron | 6.8mg | 38% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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