Cowboy Soup Recipe
This Cowboy Soup is a hearty and comforting one-pot meal, loaded with ground beef, potatoes, and veggies, all simmered in a flavorful, smoky broth. It’s perfect for feeding a hungry crowd, or for cooking over an open fire on your next camping trip. You will love this one!
For more Easy Soup Recipes, be sure to check out my Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup, and Easy Slow Cooker Taco Soup.
This easy Cowboy Soup Recipe is the ultimate comfort food, y’all. It’s a super hearty soup that is loaded with meat and veggies and is full of rich flavor, making it perfect for serving to a crowd, or to its namesake; a bunch of hungry cowboys after a long day of hard work!
You might notice one unexpected ingredient; chili sauce! It’s my little secret ingredient that adds a lot of flavor to the soup. I like to use it when I make my BBQ Meatball Cups, and think it is perfect for adding to this delicious, hearty cowboy stew. When you pair it with all of the veggies, meat, and potatoes, it’s a winning combination.
This is a very easy soup recipe that requires minimal hands-on time. Besides browning the meat and onions, the rest of the ingredients are dump and go. You can also prepare it in the crockpot, which is perfect for busy days.
Ingredients for Cowboy Soup
- Ground beef – I like to use lean ground beef, but you could also use ground turkey.
- Onion and carrots – you will need one large yellow onion and 2-3 fresh carrots.
- Garlic – adds depth of flavor to your cowboy stew. You will need about 3 large cloves, minced.
- Beef broth – I recommend using low sodium beef broth.
- Beans – I used one can of drained pinto beans, but you could also use black beans, cannellini beans, or ranch-style beans.
- Tomatoes – you will need one large 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with their juices. I like to buy petite diced tomatoes for this.
- Chili sauce – my secret ingredient! The brand I buy is Heinz, which comes in a small glass bottle. This is NOT the same as sweet chili sauce or Thai chili sauce. Look specifically for Heinz chili sauce; it’s usually located near the ketchup in most grocery stores. You could use tomato sauce instead, but I highly recommend the chili sauce for the best smoky flavor!
- Potatoes – I use about three medium sized russet potatoes. You could also use sweet potatoes instead.
- Frozen corn and green beans – I always use frozen, but you could also use fresh corn or green beans, or drained canned veggies.
- Spices – chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper are used for seasoning the soup.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Hearty Cowboy Soup – Step by Step
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground beef
over medium heat. Break the meat into crumbles as it cooks, ensuring it’s evenly browned. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot with the browned beef. Cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the the remaining ingredients and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the cowboy soup to a low boil.
Reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to a simmer for at least 20-30 minutes so the flavors can blend.
Serve, garnishing each bowl of soup with optional toppings like cilantro, green onions, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.
Tips and Notes
- Serving suggestions: I like to top our soup bowls with a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, some shredded cheddar cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips. It also tastes so good with a side of cornbread or my Dutch Oven Bread!
- For a shortcut, use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in place of the carrots, corn, and green beans.
- Store leftover cowboy soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing leftovers: If you’ve made a big batch or want to save some for later, freezing your leftover soup is a great option. Make sure the soup has cooled completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or resealable plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating the soup on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Other additions: feel free to add or change the veggies in your cowboy soup. Celery, bell peppers, or frozen peas would all be great additions. If you want to add some heat, try adding some cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeños, or a can of diced green chiles.
Crockpot Cowboy Soup Instructions
You can easily make your cowboy soup in the slow cooker instead of on the stove top. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic as directed, then transfer to your crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook over low heat for 5-6 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours before serving.
More Easy One-Pot Dinners You Should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Cowboy Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 cup Heinz chili sauce, NOT sweet chili sauce
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green beans
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground beef over medium heat. Break the meat into crumbles as it cooks, ensuring it's evenly browned. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot with the browned beef.
- Add in the the remaining ingredients and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the cowboy soup to a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to a simmer for at least 20-30 minutes so the flavors can blend.
- Cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.Serve, garnishing each bowl of soup with optional toppings like cilantro, green onions, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: I like to top our soup bowls with a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, some shredded cheddar cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips. It also tastes so good with a side of cornbread or my Dutch Oven Bread!
- For a shortcut, use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in place of the carrots, corn, and green beans.
- Store leftover cowboy soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing leftovers: If you’ve made a big batch or want to save some for later, freezing your leftover soup is a great option. Make sure the soup has cooled completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or resealable plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating the soup on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Other additions: feel free to add or change the veggies in your cowboy soup. Celery, bell peppers, or frozen peas would all be great additions. If you want to add some heat, try adding some cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeños, or a can of diced green chiles.
- Crockpot Cowboy Soup Instructions: you can easily make your cowboy soup in the slow cooker instead of on the stove top. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic as directed, then transfer to your crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook over low heat for 5-6 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours before serving.
