How Tomato Soup Can Give Taco Night A Major Flavor Kick

Taco Tuesday is a popular weeknight event in many households, offering delicious, affordable tacos. The tradition started as a way for Mexican and other taco-making restaurants to offer discounted food once a week, boosting weeknight profits, and its origins date back to as early as the 70s, according to Thrillist. But Taco Tuesday has also become a popular midweek celebration for home cooks, too. 

Tacos are one of the most versatile food types because they can be made with almost any protein, be served with a diverse array of no-cook toppings, and be customized to picky eaters of all sorts. However, American households have earned a rough reputation for making what Reddit describes as "white people tacos." These typically consist of under-seasoned ground beef, hard corn shells, and shredded cheddar cheese. And while these definitely aren't authentically Mexican tacos, they are a cost-effective and easy weeknight meal that can feed a large family. To give your taco night a flavor boost, consider another American staple — condensed tomato soup. 

While the Americanized ground beef taco may be ridiculed by many, they actually offer a ton of potential. The hard shell tacos aren't exactly traditional, they are crispy, salty, and easy to fill up, and minced beef is a delicious, fatty protein that can easily pick up flavors in the skillet, removing the need for overnight salting and marinating. Perhaps the biggest thing missing from this take on the taco is acid. It's no surprise that in the episode for Acid in her series Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin Nosrat travels to Mexico to explore the power of acidity in cooking. "Acid brightens food and creates contrast," she states at the top of the episode.

On the pH scale, anything below 7 is considered acidic. According to Pick Your Own, cream of tomato soup has a pH level of 4.62. With condensed tomato soup, you don't need to worry about keeping fresh ingredients on hand or bother chopping up another vegetable. Sour cream and a squeeze of lime are also great ways to add a zesty bit of acid to your taco night.