I honestly couldn't figure out what to make from The Dinner Doctor. Lots of quick recipes to make after a long and hard day at the office. Not sure why I chose this recipe except at the time it was cold and I wanted something warm and soothing.
When I stopped at the store after work, I couldn't find the Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup called for in the recipe. It's one of those items I've seen a million times when not looking for it. I bought a can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup and hoped that it would work. Of course a week later when I rearranged the pantry I found a can of the Fiesta Soup sitting on my shelf!
This didn't turn out bad though I did doctor the original recipe a bit. The photo looks pretty bad (and the dish doesn't exactly look appetizing) but I think it tasted decent.
NACHO CHEESE SOUP
1/2 pound ground beef round
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (14 to 14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth
1 1/2 cups mild store-bought salsa
1 can (11 oz) Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
1 cup tortilla chips
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Crumble the ground beef into a 2-quart nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the cumin and pepper. Cook the beef, stirring, until it browns all over and is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of the salsa and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let simmer until the ingredients cook down a bit, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese soup and cook only until blended but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish each serving with some of the tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa. Serves 4 as a main course.
Note: I used Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup instead of the Fiesta. I used Better than Bullion Chicken base. I used mild fresh salsa from the deli (not from a jar). I wasn't sure about just the Cheddar Cheese soup, so since I had some Velveeta Cheese, I added it to this dish (probably 3/4 a cup). I think it made it thicker and probably altered the intended taste. I also added a bit of hot sauce since I didn't use the Fiesta soup.
Note: I completely forgot the avocado and cilantro. I think they would make a great touch so do try them. The tortilla chips made a great accompaniment to this dish too.
Both Mr. L and I liked this dish. Not sure I'd make it again, but I might make something similar.
