Last week I had a horrible head cold, one of those ones that leaves you brain dead and woozy. After two days of laying in bed, watching crappy TV and reading a great book (The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison), I was gross. My house was gross. My hair was gross. It was time to become a human again.

So I got up, no not to shower, but to make this soup: Taco Tortilla Soup. I made taco flavored meatballs in place of the shredded chicken in a classic tortilla soup. It’s simple and quick, hearty and healthy, hot and head-clearing. All things perfect for a sick person, but probably even better when all your tastebuds are in working order.

Start by browning the meatballs, which are a mixture of lean ground beef and taco seasoning, so that they hold up in the simmering soup.

Make a classic chicken tortilla soup base with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. I use beef broth but you could certainly substitute chicken.

Once you add corn, black beans, and your reserved browned meatballs, simmer for 20 minutes and dinner is ready!

Since it’s a taco soup, I serve it up like a taco bar with toppings for everyone to make their own taco soup bowls.

Taco Tortilla Soup

Serves 4 

1 lb lean ground beef

4 Tbs taco seasoning, divided

1 Tbs olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

¼ cup beer

1 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes in juices

5 cups beef broth

1 14 ½ oz. black beans, drained

1 ½ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, avocado, and lime slices for serving

Mix the ground beef with 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning and form into small, 1 inch, meatballs.

Heat a large soup pot with olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches, about 1 minute per side. Remove and reserve.

Add the onion and pepper to the pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the beer to deglaze the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the pot. Then add the tomatoes and remaining 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Once mixed and simmering, add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Add the black beans, corn and reserved meatballs. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve the soup with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado slices and lime.