Tortilla Soup for the Soul

Mr. and Mrs. JHutch are coming over for supper tonight and I'm cooking up some yummy tortilla soup.  I got this recipe from my friend Natalie and I've adjusted just a little bit.  Not that it's all that cold here in Texas, but this is the perfect recipe for a chilly winter's day.

What you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey (we use lean turkey to keep as light as possible)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 or 2 packages of taco seasoning (I use two)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 17 oz cans homily, undrained.  You can use white or yellow or substitute for corn.
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 16oz cans pinto beans, drained
2 cups water
Hot sauce and Tony's (optional)
Shredded cheese for topping
Tortilla chips
Lime juice (optional)

Brown the meat with onion and bell pepper in a large pot, then drain.

 

Add the rest of the ingredients (down to the water.)  I add in a little Louisiana hot sauce, Tony's and pepper for a little extra kick of seasoning.

 Stir to mix all ingredients together.  It should start to look like this:

 Cover and let simmer on low heat for about an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and lime juice (optional).  Enjoy!