Serving Suggestions

Cowboy soup is hearty enough on its own, so I like to keep the sides simple. My favorites are:

• Buttered cornbread for dipping
• Crusty (toasted) bread or a baguette with lots of butter
• Homemade biscuits if you want something extra comforting
• My favorite arugula salad helps to balance the rich soup
• Quesadillas for something fun and kid-friendly to dunk in the soup

For toppings, shredded sharp Cheddar, sour cream, avocado, green onions, or crushed tortilla chips are all really good.

Ingredients

• ▢1 tablespoon olive oil plus more as needed
• ▢1 pound ground beef chuck (80/20)
• ▢1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion
• ▢1-1/2 cups finely diced carrots 4 carrots
• ▢1 large red bell pepper finely diced
• ▢Salt and pepper
• ▢1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
• ▢2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢1 teaspoon each: beef bouillon powder garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, dried oregano
• ▢2 teaspoons each: chili powder paprika
• ▢1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes see note 1
• ▢2 dried bay leaves
• ▢1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth see note 2 (4 cups)
• ▢2 cups diced gold potatoes unpeeled is fine!
• ▢1 cup frozen corn
• ▢1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained & rinsed
• ▢1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ▢1/4 cup finely chopped parsley optional, for topping
• ▢Freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese optional, for serving
• ▢Crusty buttered bread optional, for serving

Instructions 

• Heat oil in a very large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add beef to the center and season to taste (I add 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper). Let it sear, then crumble and cook until deeply browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, loosely cover with foil, and set aside.

• You want about 2 tablespoons fat in the pot. If there’s more, drain off the excess. If there’s less, add enough olive oil to make about 2 tablespoons total. Add onion, carrots & red pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 7–10 minutes.

• Add garlic, tomato paste, beef bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder & paprika. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and the tomato paste begins to darken slightly, about 2–3 minutes.

• Sprinkle flour over everything and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add crushed tomatoes (careful, they may sputter!) and cook for 1 more minute. Gradually pour in beef broth while stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

• Add potatoes and bay leaves and stir well. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Stir every 4–5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing catches, then promptly replace the lid.

• Once potatoes are tender and broth has thickened nicely, return beef to the pot. Add black-eyed peas, corn & Worcestershire sauce and stir just until everything is warmed through. Stir in red wine vinegar, then taste and adjust seasonings to preference (I typically add another 1/4–1/2 tsp salt). For even more flavor and a thicker texture, let the soup simmer a little longer over low heat before serving.

• Remove and discard bay leaves. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and freshly shredded Cheddar, if using. Serve with crusty buttered bread for dipping.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Tomatoes make a big difference flavor-wise, so I recommend good-quality crushed tomatoes. Fire-roasted are especially good here. I like Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano Italian® or Muir Glen®. If using cheaper tomatoes, you may need to add 1–2 teaspoons sugar at the end to balance the acidity.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.9g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 1273mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 7488IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 5mg