Description
Cowboy Soup is an easy and hearty dinner packed with seasoned ground beef and tender potatoes plus beans and vegetables in a rich tomato broth. This quick recipe is full of comforting ideas for a busy weeknight dinner while still feeling simple and satisfying. It is one of the best healthy comfort meals for meal prep because every spoonful has protein and vegetables plus cozy flavor that works beautifully for a casual potluck or party.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 medium Russet potatoes
- 1 can 14.5 ounces Diced tomatoes
- 1 can 8 ounces Tomato sauce
- 3 cups Beef broth
- 1 can 15 ounces drained and rinsed Kidney beans
- 1 can 15 ounces drained and rinsed Pinto beans
- 1 cup Corn
- 1 cup cut into short pieces Green beans
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Add the ground beef and chopped onion together and cook until the beef changes from pink to browned crumbles while the onion becomes soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic near the end so it becomes fragrant and evenly mixed through the browned beef without burning.
- Transfer the browned beef mixture into the large pot and add the irregular potato cubes plus diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and beef broth.
Stir until the beef and potatoes shift throughout the red broth while some potato pieces remain near the surface and others settle lower in the pot.
- Season the soup with chili powder and cumin and smoked paprika plus salt and black pepper before simmering until the potatoes become tender around the edges.
The broth changes from bright red and thin to a deeper red with slightly more body while the beef and potatoes become fully integrated throughout.
- Add the kidney beans and pinto beans plus corn and green beans to the simmered soup and fold everything together.
The soup becomes fuller and more colorful as dark red beans and pale pinto beans plus golden corn and green bean pieces spread unevenly through the broth.
- Continue cooking until the beans are heated through and the green beans become tender while keeping some shape.
The finished soup should look thick and hearty with a deep tomato red broth plus tender potatoes and browned beef and colorful vegetables naturally overlapping in every scoop.
- Ladle one generous portion into a serving bowl so the beef and potatoes plus beans and corn and green beans remain visible above the broth.
Scatter chopped parsley unevenly across the surface for a fresh finish while keeping the serving casual and homemade.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Brown the beef until a few edges develop deeper color because those caramelized bits add more savory flavor to the finished broth.
- Keep the potato cubes close in size but slightly irregular so they cook at a similar rate while the soup still looks naturally homemade.
- Rinse the canned beans well before adding them because this removes excess canning liquid and keeps the tomato broth cleaner in flavor.
- Let the finished soup rest for several minutes before serving because the broth thickens slightly as the potatoes release a little starch.
Storage: Let the Cowboy Soup cool before transferring it into airtight containers. Store it in the refrigerator for up to four days and keep the portions covered tightly so the broth stays fresh.
For freezing allow the soup to cool completely and divide it into freezer safe portions. Leave a little space at the top of each container because the liquid expands as it freezes.
Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator whenever possible. Reheat it gently until steaming hot and stir occasionally so the potatoes and beans warm evenly without breaking apart.
The broth may become thicker after chilling because the potatoes release starch as the soup rests. Add a small splash of beef broth during reheating if you prefer a looser consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American