This soup is filled with tasty but affordable ingredients and is super easy to make – which is probably why it’s so popular! There are a lot of great benefits to making cowboy soup so if you want to make your very own batch, this is the place for you.
Quick Answer: How To Make A Hearty Cowboy Soup
Here we are going to be showing you how to make your own cowboy soup. Follow the guide below to find out not only how to make your own cowboy soup but what you can serve alongside it and how you can store it to eat at a later date!
So, check out the guide below and enjoy!
What Is Cowboy Soup?
First, let’s talk about cowboy soup – what exactly is it?
Cowboy soup is based on Tex-Mex cuisine. Tex-Mex cuisine is a branch of American cuisine that originated with the Tejano people of Texas.
Their culinary creations spread beyond the borders of Texas into Southwestern US and Mexico. Some popular dishes from Tex-Mex cuisine include fajitas, chili con carne, and cowboy soup.
As a result, cowboy soup has a lot of similarities with other Tex-Mex dishes. It uses similar ingredients like beans, corn, and ground meat, but also plenty of spice. As a result, it’s a soup that brings the heat!
To make cowboy soup, you just have to throw together a bunch of Tex-Mex classic ingredients into a pot and let it stew.
It’s a pretty low-effort meal – you can just imagine real cowboys making it out on the plains by throwing lots of tasty ingredients into a pot and calling it a day.
Because of this, it’s a fun recipe to try out and a delicious way to enjoy the flavors of Tex-Mex cuisine. It’s still cozy and filling, just like many other classic soups, but it’s spicy and exotic thanks to its Tex-Mex flavors.
So, if you love Tex-Mex cuisine but want to try something other than fajitas or chilis, then this is the recipe for you!
Key Ingredients You Will Need For Cowboy Soup
The first step in making cowboy soup is to gather all the right ingredients. Here is a list of all the ingredients you need to make your own cowboy soup and how much you will need of each tasty ingredient!
Ground Beef – No Tex-Mex dish would be complete without some delicious ground beef. It’s found in a ton of other Tex-Mex dishes like fajitas or enchiladas so it makes sense that it’s also included in cowboy soup.
Plus, cowboys look after cows and take a guess at what animal beef comes from?
For our cowboy soup recipe, you will need at least 2 pounds of ground beef – plenty to make a nice, meaty stew! Ground chuck is a great option but if you prefer your beef nice and lean, just add a tablespoon or two of oil to the beef while it cooks.
Ranch Beans – Beans are an important ingredient used in Tex-Mex cuisine. They are filling, provide a soft texture to your meal, and are a good source of fiber and protein.
For this recipe, you will need 2 cans, or 15 ounces, of Ranch beans. You can use pinto beans instead but Ranch beans have the right kind of spices and flavor for this recipe. So, if you want that extra flavor, opt for Ranch beans instead!
Corn – Another key ingredient in Tex-Mex cuisine is corn. Whether it’s served as a side dish or used in different mixes, corn is a bright colorful ingredient used to add a touch of sweetness to the dish.
For cowboy soup, you will need 2 cans (or 15 ounces) of whole-kernel corn – make sure it’s well-drained!
Onion – Onions are great for bringing a ton of flavor and texture to Tex-Mex-inspired meals. You will need at least 2 cups of chopped onion for this cowboy soup recipe.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes bring a lot of flavor to our version of cowboy soup as well as plenty of vibrant color. Because they’re such a key ingredient, you will need 1 can (or 28 ounces) of diced, well-drained tomatoes.
Russet Potatoes – To help build up the body of the stew and make it even more flavorful and filling, we have added 4 russet potatoes (peeled and diced in advance) to this cowboy soup recipe.
You should dice your potatoes into 1-inch square cubes. This allows them to cook correctly in the time given in the recipe.
Ro-Tel – Ro-Tel is a mixture of diced green chilis and tomatoes. It’s a great way to spice up a ton of different recipes so dig out a can (or 10 ounces) from your kitchen cabinets and add it to your cowboy soup!
If you can’t get your hands on any Ro-Tel, then regular diced green chilies will do the trick.
Mixed Vegetables – This ingredient is to help add a bit of variety to the soup in terms of texture and flavor. You can add whatever kind of mixed vegetables you desire – green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.
All you need to do is make sure you have 12 ounces ready to look!
Beef Broth – You can also use chicken broth to make cowboy soup but we think that beef broth works best as it complements the ground beef and captures the real essence of this soup.
You will need at least 4 cups of beef broth to get the stew to the right consistency.
Seasoning – Salt and black pepper are always a given ingredient in any kind of recipe. For this one, you will need around ½ a teaspoon of each to help season the soup.
Spices – Tex-Mex meals are traditionally a little bit spicy and to help capture that kind of heat in this cowboy soup, you will need 2 teaspoons of chili powder and a further 2 teaspoons of cumin.
Cowboy Soup Recipe
Once you have gathered all the ingredients and measured out your portions correctly, it’s time to start making your cowboy soup!
Your first step will be to make sure you have prepared all of your ingredients. Some require draining, like the tomatoes or the corn, while others need to be peeled, chopped, or minced. Make sure to keep your ingredients separate during this step.
Once your ingredients are all prepared, it’s time to start cooking!
Take a large pot (whatever pot you use for making stews and soups) and set it over a medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown it. At this point, your ground beef should start leaking grease and oil. You can either drain it or leave it in for extra flavor!
When the ground beef is nice and brown, start adding the onion, garlic, and your spices. Stir well to mix them all together into a spicy, meaty filling. This should take about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and tender.
Next, add in your mixed vegetables, corn, tomatoes, and Ranch beans. Stir well to mix them all up.
Then add in your beef broth, Ro-tel, and russet potatoes. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are well mixed together.
Bring your pot to the boil, then reduce the heat so it starts to simmer. Cover your pot and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
Then, check your potatoes – they should be nice and tender. If not, let the soup simmer for a little bit longer until the potatoes are the right level of tenderness you desire. Then your soup will be ready to serve!
Mix in the final seasoning and add any additional garnishes (like hot sauce to make a really spicy soup or shredded cheese for a cheesy soup) that you desire. Serve up and enjoy!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, making a good, hearty cowboy soup is super easy once you have all the ingredients. All you need to do is keep adding the ingredients into a big pot and let it all cook – so anyone can make their own cowboy soup!
It’s also super tasty and a great alternative recipe to try if you love Tex-Mex cuisine but are growing tired of the same old chilis and fajitas.
So, we hope this guide has helped you out and you feel confident and excited to try out the recipe above for yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Sides Go With Cowboy Soup?
Cowboy soup is a pretty filling soup in its own right as it contains a ton of ingredients – meat, potatoes, lots of vegetables, seasoning, and spices.
This makes it a well-balanced meal but if you want to add something else to the meal to mix up the flavors and textures on offer, then here are some great ideas to try.
The obvious choice is bread.
Soups and stews are often served alongside some delicious bread as their texture and consistency are great for soaking up the juices and liquids. This means that not a drop of your cowboy soup will go to waste.
There are lots of great types of bread you can serve with cowboy soup but shake things up by serving grilled cheese sandwiches or garlic bread.
Cornbread is another great choice because it’s used a lot in Tex-Mex cuisine and it complements the sweet corn used in the cowboy stew.
Overall, you will want to serve sides that are great for absorbing liquids so you can soak up and enjoy as much of your cowboy stew as possible.
They shouldn’t drown out the flavor of the stew but serve to enhance it instead. Some great sides that achieve this include creamy mashed potatoes, spicy rice, or soft couscous.
How Can You Store Cowboy Soup?
If you have made too much cowboy soup then don’t worry – it can easily be stored and saved for you to enjoy on a different day!
To store your cowboy soup, you first need to let it cool before moving it over into an airtight container. If you don’t have an airtight container at hand, then move the soup to a dish and cover it with plastic wrap.
Try and make the wrap as tight as possible to keep as much air out as you can.
Then, place the soup in your refrigerator and consume it within three days. You can reheat the soup before serving either in a microwave or over low-medium heat in a pot. Once the soup is hot, serve it up!
Cowboy soup leftovers tend to be a lot thicker on their second serving so you can water it down with a cup or two of beef broth. Then, reheat the soup, stirring well, and then serve.
You can also add a little extra seasoning to help strengthen the flavor – but it’s not a good idea to add more spice. This is because the spice works best when added when the pot is dry.
Alternatively, you can freeze your cowboy soup and keep it in your freezer for a much later date! You still need to eat it all within three months but it’s a great option if you want to batch cook now to save yourself cooking time later on.
This way, you can make your cowboy soup on the weekend and eat a small portion for lunch each day throughout the week!
Take a large pot (whatever pot you use for making stews and soups) and set it over a medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef and brown it. At this point, your ground beef should start leaking grease and oil. You can either drain it or leave it in for extra flavor!
When the ground beef is nice and brown, start adding the onion, garlic, and your spices. Stir well to mix them all together into a spicy, meaty filling. This should take about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and tender.
Next, add in your mixed vegetables, corn, tomatoes, and Ranch beans. Stir well to mix them all up.
Then add in your beef broth, Ro-tel, and russet potatoes. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are well mixed together.
Bring your pot to the boil, then reduce the heat so it starts to simmer. Cover your pot and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
Then, check your potatoes – they should be nice and tender. If not, let the soup simmer for a little bit longer until the potatoes are the right level of tenderness you desire.
Hey! I’m Lana, the original Soup Chick! I decided to create this website as I am a massive soup fan. I will literally make soup for every occasion. Whether a friend is under the weather, has the flu, or I just want to try out something new in my slow cooker!
I hope that you can find some really interesting and different soup recipes to try out with my site. I know I’ve had a lot of fun curating and trying them all, and I hope that you do too!
