Made from staple food bank items, this Taco Rice and Beans Soup is a fun take on a budget friendly classic! Packed with flavour, this multi-bean soup is healthy and easily dressed-up with all your favourite Mexican flavours. Repurpose leftovers for lunch or freeze for later as this recipe boasts a high yield and is perfect for budgeting!
This post contains sponsored content. I was fortunate enough to receive monetary compensation from Purolator as part of their efforts to bring attention to their Purolator Tackle Hunger Campaign! Every year, Purolator teams-up with CFL teams to drive donations for a local food bank. To date, the Purolator Tackle Hunger program has provided the equivalent of more than 13 million pounds of food to food banks across Canada.
Earlier in the season, I was invited to The Investors Group Field to attend a mid-day Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice to not only cheer on the team, but hear about the fantastic work that Purolator and the CFL has been doing to help raise food donations for local food banks through the Purolator Tackle Hunger Campaign. Not only did I get to meet folks from Winnipeg Harvest, but I also was provided with the opportunity to chat with Patrick Neufeld, Offensive Lineman of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers about the impactful campaign. Can I get a “Let’s Go, Bombers” real loud over here?
Now, before I tell you more about this amazing cause let’s chat football (bet ya didn’t think I’d ever say that here!) Football is one of the few sports I know a thing or two about. My best friend always seemed to date football players in high school so I attended more than my fair share of games. I also love throwing around the ‘ol pigskin now and then, but since breaking my finger in 2016 from a fumbled football catch, I’ve been shying away from the activity. But honestly, it’s not because of the sport that I signed-up for this campaign. Actually, it is because I recognize the impact that Purolator and the CFL has had on Canadians. You see, I grew-up having to rely on donations to local food banks. I was one of those 850,000 Canadians who lived with food insecurity and used a food bank. Living with food insecurity shaped me, so much so that I run a blog on budget friendly food! I want to help bring attention to how many donations are truly needed to support others and aligning myself with this amazing program is a good start, don’t you think?
Now, hold on to your hats as I give you an amazing stat….
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Purolator collected the equivalent of 25,000 pounds of food at the Investors Group Field for Winnipeg Harvest during the regular season game on October 25!
Now that’s an impactful number. But it doesn’t stop there! The CFL has been participating in this Purolator Tackle Hunger initiative for 17 years. Players across the CFL use this as an opportunity to encourage fans to donate healthy, non-perishable staples like canned beans and lentils because these staples can be turned into very healthy, economical and delicious meals. I push chickpeas, lentils and beans on this blog as they are so versatile, affordable and, in the case for those that rely on foodbanks, are often donated! Collections of food from the Tackle Hunger games are kept in their local communities so any food donated at these games stays local to directly support the community.
When chatting to Purolator Tackle Hunger ambassador, Patrick Neufeld, he shared that while he didn’t live with food insecurity growing-up, he was very aware of those that did. He got involved with the campaign as a way to give back to the community. He then challenged me to create a dish with beans that was full of Mexican flavours. He shared that his favourite Mexican food was a simple Rice and Beans and that he loved adding cilantro to his dishes. As I already have a pretty fantastic recipe for Rice & Beans on the blog, I used Patrick’s suggestion as a nudge and whipped-up a simple yet oh-so-satisfying Taco Rice and Beans Soup. Thank you for the inspiration, Patrick!
This soup is incredibly versatile and I have included notes on swap-outs and suggestions on how to make this recipe if you may not have the exact ingredients on hand. Taco Rice and Beans Soup is great as it can be dressed-up so easily any leftover bits of cheese, veggies or chips in the house can be repurposed into fun toppings, just like you would for tacos, quesadillas or burritos! It also makes a very large pot of soup, meaning you can stay full and save a few portions for lunch or freeze for later. The bulk of the ingredients (save for one fresh onion) are all non perishable, so these are great ingredients to donate the next time you help-out your local food bank or attend a partnered Purolator Tackle Hunger CFL game!
Taco Rice and Beans Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 1 Yellow or White Onion (medium sized, diced)
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 can Stewed, Diced or Petite Cut Tomatoes (540 ml tin)
- 1 can Black Beans (540 ml tin, drained and rinsed)*
- 1 can Kidney Beans (540 ml tin, drained and rinsed)*
- 1 can Corn (341 ml, drained and rinsed)*
- 1 tetra pack Vegetable Broth (900 ml)*
- 1 cup Prepared Rice (Any variety will do, just ensure the rice is already cooked! Brown, Long Grain or even Basmati do fine in this recipe!)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat Canola oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add spice mixture to coat onions and heat for about one minute, stirring to not burn spices.
- Add canned tomatoes, beans, corn and vegetable broth to pot and mix until well combined. Bring soup to boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add prepared rice to pot and let simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
- Spoon into bowls and serve! Can be served with your favourite taco toppings such as grated cheese, chips, diced avocado, sour cream, green onions and/or cilantro
Notes
- Substitute the spices for a premixed package of taco seasoning
- Feel free to use any broth you have on hand! Chicken and beef both work well
- 1.5 cups of frozen corn can be substituted for canned corn
- A can of lentils or chickpeas can be subbed for either (or both) types of beans. Use your favourite and what you have on-hand. Just make sure they are canned and not dried beans, chickpeas or lentils.
Did you make Taco Rice + Beans Soup at home?
If so, take a picture and tag it with #TackleHunger and #PeppersAndPennies! I love seeing your creations and will gladly share your photo!
