Description
Cowboy Soup is an easy and hearty one-pot meal packed with ground beef and beans and vegetables in a savory tomato broth. It is one of the best ideas for a quick and simple weeknight dinner when you want healthy comfort food without extra work. This filling soup also works well for meal prep and casual party nights or a relaxed potluck because every bowl is warm and satisfying while the ingredients are budget friendly and easy to keep on hand.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 medium diced Yellow onion
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 1 large diced into 1/2-inch pieces Russet potato
- 1 can 15 ounces drained and rinsed Pinto beans
- 1 can 15 ounces drained and rinsed Kidney beans
- 1 cup frozen Corn
- 1 can 14.5 ounces with juices Diced tomatoes
- 1 can 8 ounces Tomato sauce
- 4 cups Beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/2 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Sour cream
- 2 thinly sliced Green onions
Instructions
- Add the ground beef and diced onion together and cook until the beef changes from pink to mostly brown while the onion becomes softer and slightly translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic near the end so the mixture looks evenly combined and glossy while the beef remains in irregular crumbles rather than uniform pieces.
- Add the diced potato and chili powder and cumin and smoked paprika and salt and black pepper to the browned beef mixture and stir until the potato pieces are scattered throughout.
The mixture becomes warmer in color as the spices coat the beef and potatoes while the pieces shift into a loose uneven layer across the pot.
- Pour in the pinto beans and kidney beans and corn and diced tomatoes and tomato sauce then fold everything together until the vegetables and beans are distributed through the beef.
The mixture changes from mostly brown to a chunky red mixture with bright yellow corn and two kinds of beans appearing unevenly throughout.
- Pour in the beef broth and stir so the chunky ingredients spread through the liquid instead of staying piled in the center. Bring the soup to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes become tender and the broth looks slightly thicker.
As the soup cooks the beef and beans shift around the pot while the tomatoes soften into the broth and the colors blend into a deep rustic red.
- Scoop one portion of the finished soup into a serving bowl so the beef and tender potatoes and beans and corn remain clearly visible through the broth.
Finish with a small uneven handful of shredded cheddar and a spoonful of sour cream and scattered sliced green onions so the toppings soften naturally against the hot soup without covering the surface completely.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cut the potato into roughly half inch pieces so it becomes tender during the simmer without dissolving into the tomato broth.
- Drain and rinse both cans of beans well so excess canning liquid does not make the finished Cowboy Soup taste overly salty.
- Let the soup simmer gently until the potatoes are tender because a hard boil can break the beans and make the broth cloudy.
- Add the cheddar and sour cream after serving so each bowl keeps visible texture and the toppings stay fresh and creamy.
Storage: Let the Cowboy Soup cool until it is no longer steaming heavily and then transfer it into airtight containers. Store the soup in the refrigerator for up to four days and keep the toppings separate so they stay fresh.
For freezing and longer storage divide the cooled soup into meal sized portions and leave a little space at the top of each container. Freeze for up to three months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat the soup gently until it is hot throughout and stir occasionally so the beef and beans and vegetables warm evenly. If the broth thickens during storage then add a small splash of broth or water while reheating.
Store shredded cheddar and sour cream and sliced green onions separately and add them only after reheating. This keeps the toppings from becoming watery and helps each serving taste freshly finished.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 74mg