After-Practice Recipe

Late Dinner Taco Soup

A dump-and-simmer taco soup made earlier, so a late dinner is two minutes in the microwave plus a handful of chips.

IngredientsTimingStoragebeans
Comic-book style illustration of hungry kids coming home from practice to a fast hot dinner for Late Dinner Taco Soup.

Late dinner

One pot in the afternoon feeds everyone two minutes after eight.

The soup simmered earlier and only needs a quick reheat and a scatter of cheese.

It tastes even better than it did at lunch, and it warms up a cold walk-in fast.

Ingredients

This version of late dinner taco soup keeps the ingredient job tied to serves 6.

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

How to Make It

Make late dinner taco soup so dinner can pause, travel, reheat, or land on the table without a reset.

  • Earlier: brown the ground turkey in a pot until it reaches 165F, breaking it up as it cooks.
  • Add the black beans, pinto beans, corn, both cans of tomatoes, taco seasoning, and broth.
  • Simmer 20 minutes so the flavors come together, then cool and refrigerate.
  • After practice, reheat a bowl until steaming hot, about 2 minutes in the microwave or 6 minutes on the stove.

Do the Slow Part Early

This is a dump-and-simmer soup, so make the full pot earlier in the day. After practice it is pure reheating, plus a sprinkle of toppings.

  • Brown the turkey and simmer the soup in the afternoon
  • Set out the cheese, chips, and toppings before you leave
  • Cool the pot and refrigerate so reheating is the only job

Store and Reheat

Taco soup tastes even better the next day and reheats fast. Add a splash of broth if it thickened in the fridge.

  • Microwave a bowl 2 minutes, stirring once, until it steams
  • Stovetop: 6 minutes over medium, stirring, with a splash of broth
  • Pack it hot in a thermos for the field; keeps 4 days in the fridge
  • Serve with: tortilla chips, shredded cheese

Make It Fit Tonight

Small Tweaks That Help This Dinner Land

Use ground beef

Swap the turkey for beef for a richer broth.

Make it creamy

Stir in a block of softened cream cheese for a queso-style soup.

Add a poblano

Saute a diced poblano with the turkey for a smoky note.

Go vegetarian

Skip the meat and add a third can of beans.

Top it like nachos

Crush chips on top and add avocado, sour cream, and lime.

Plan The Next Step

Plan your simmer-ahead soups

Use the planner to keep a pot of something reheatable ready for late nights.

Plan your simmer-ahead soups