This easy recipe for Cowboy Soup makes a big pot of ground beef and veggie stew that’s hearty enough to serve a crowd of hungry cowboys! As a bonus, it’s ready in under an hour and super simple to make.
You don’t need to be cooking for hungry cowboys to enjoy this Cowboy Soup Recipe though. This soup is loved by all types of hungry people!
Make a big pot of cowboy hamburger soup for the football game instead of the traditional chili.
Having a few friends over for a casual get-together? Keep the menu low-key and serve cowboy soup instead of a fussy multi-course meal.
Do you have teenagers that seem to never get full? Try serving them this!
Beef Enchilada Casserole and Cowboy Casserole are two more delicious and easy Tex-Mex meals to feed a crowd. Or, if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, try my Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup instead!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy and Quick– You can make Cowboy Soup on the stovetop in about 45 minutes. I’ll also tell you how to make crockpot cowboy soup if that’s a better option for you.
- It’s Delicious! The rich broth is seasoned with fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, and warm Tex-Mex seasonings.
- It Feeds a Crowd – This recipe makes enough soup to feed 10 hungry cowboys! If you don’t need that much soup, you can simply cut the recipe in half.
Cowboy Soup Ingredients:
Here’s what you need to make this hearty, filling cowboy soup:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: 2 pounds of ground beef are cooked with diced onion and minced garlic. It’s best to use leaner ground beef, like 90/10 ground chuck. If you use a fattier blend, be sure to drain away the excess grease.
- Canned Tomatoes: I always have a few cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes in the cupboard. they add a smoky, rich flavor to soups and stews that are perfect in this recipe.
- Rotel: A tasty blend of diced tomatoes and chiles is an easy flavor booster. Rotel comes in different varieties, you can choose the classic one, or the spicy one if you want some extra kick.
- Ranch Style Beans: These canned pinto beans are seasoned with western Tex-Mex flavor! Don’t use plain canned beans. Instead, look for ranch beans (with a black label). If you can’t find them, look for southwestern seasoned pinto beans, or use seasoned chili beans.
- Canned Corn: Two cans of corn add sweetness to this soup. Feel free to use 3 cups of frozen corn instead if you prefer.
- Frozen Veggies: Toss in a whole bag of frozen mixed vegetables!
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape well in this soup, and make this dish hearty and filling.
- Broth: Beef broth goes perfectly with the ground beef and seasonings in cowboy stew. Use boxed or canned broth if you don’t have any homemade in the freezer.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, ground cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper.
How To Make Cowboy Soup
- Brown Ground Beef: In a large dutch oven (7-9quart) over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, add the ground beef and onion, and cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Drain if needed.
- Add Garlic to the pan with the beef, and cook for just 30 seconds.
- Fill the Soup Pot: Add diced tomatoes, Rotel, beans, corn, mixed vegetables, and potatoes to the dutch oven, then cover with beef broth.
- Season: Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Tip!
A garnish of fresh parsley may seem unimportant, but it is a simple way to make your soup look and taste its best!
Recipe Tips
- Make it Spicy: As written, this recipe is flavorful, but not super spicy. You can add extra chili powder, or serve the soup with hot sauce.
- Prefer a thicker texture? Reduce the broth if you like, just be sure you have enough to cover the potatoes in the pot.
- To thin out cowboy soup, simply add more beef broth.
- For a Smaller Crowd: Split the recipe in half. You’ll end up with a half can of tomatoes and a half can of Rotel left over. Put both in a freezer container and save it for next time.
- Be Sure to Use a Large Pot: I cooked this soup in a 9-quart stainless steel dutch oven, but you could get away with using a 7-quart dutch oven or stock pot if that’s what you have. A six-quart dutch oven won’t be big enough to hold all of this soup!
Storing Tips
Store leftover cowboy soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Soups with potatoes in them don’t freeze well. The potatoes absorb the broth and become grainy when defrosted. So if you want to freeze cowboy soup, make it without the potatoes. You can add them in later, or enjoy it without.
What To Serve With Coyboy Soup
You don’t need side dishes with this hearty stew, but you might want some bread to clean the bowl with!
Serve cowboy soup with a side of crusty bread (I love it with a fresh baguette) or homemade Texas Roadhouse Rolls with cinnamon honey butter.
For dessert, I suggest making Sopapilla Cheesecake, or Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.
More Filling Soups and Stews
All Soups→
And if you’re looking for another delicious ground beef soup recipe, my friend Stacie shared a Busy Day Soup recipe and it’s super easy to make too!
FAQs
Yes, this recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. Be sure that you’re using a large crockpot that’s over 7 quarts. Cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic first, then add all of the ingredients. Cook on low heat for 2-4 hours in the slow cooker.
Either will work. Both the corn and the extra mixed vegetables can come from your freezer or from a can. If you’re using canned vegetables, be sure to drain the liquid from them.
Sugar is an unexpected soup ingredient, but it’s the one that makes cowboy soup so tasty! It’s just a teaspoon, but it helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Cowboy Soup is a big, beautiful pot of comfort food, and it’s so simple to make! Save this recipe for the next time you have a hungry crowd to food. Pin it for more people to enjoy too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Cowboy Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef preferably 90/10
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes drained
- 1 14.5-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies do not drain
- 2 15-ounce can ranch beans or seasoned pinto beans. do not drain
- 2 15-ounce cans whole kernel corn drained, or 3 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
- 10 ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- chopped fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven (7-9qt) over medium high heat, heat olive oil, add the ground beef and onion, and cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Drain if needed.
- Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Next, add diced tomatoes, rotel, ranch beans, corn, mixed vegetables, and potatoes to the pot, then cover with the beef broth.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread.
Notes:
- Make it Spicy: As written, this recipe is flavorful, but not super spicy. You can add extra chili powder, diced jalapeno, or serve the soup with hot sauce.
- Adjust the texture of the soup by adding more or less beef broth.
- For a Smaller Crowd: Split the recipe in half. You’ll end up with a half can of tomatoes and a half can of Rotel left over. Put both in a freezer container and save it for next time.
- Be Sure to Use a Large Pot: I cooked this soup in a 9-quart stainless steel dutch oven, but you could get away with using a 7-quart dutch oven or stock pot if that’s what you have. A six-quart dutch oven won’t be big enough to hold all of this soup!
- To make cowboy soup in a crockpot: Cook the ground beef with onion and garlic, then add to a large crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 2-4 hours.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and enjoy within 3 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Mike bloxom says
I made this before and it was great. Just wondering about using stew meat
Mike bloxom says
Can you make this using a good stew meat instead of ground beef
Diana says
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cowboy soup! Using stew meat is definitely an option. Since this soup is simmered for only 30 minutes, you might want to cut it into smaller pieces to ensure it cooks through properly in that time frame. Alternatively, you could extend the cooking time a bit to make sure the stew meat is tender. I hope this helps!
Debbie says
Just delicious! I used deer meat. .
Melissa says
Delicious – easy to make and packed with flavor!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the review, Melissa! So glad that you enjoyed the soup!