Cowboy Soup is a hearty, one-pot dinner packed with ground beef, potatoes, beans, corn, tomatoes, and plenty of savory seasoning. It lands somewhere between a chunky vegetable soup and a beef stew, with enough going on in every bowl to make it a meal on its own.
This is the kind of soup I make when I want something filling without spending the afternoon watching a pot. Once the beef is browned and the vegetables are chopped, everything simmers together until the potatoes are tender.
Cowboy Soup gives you beef, potatoes, beans, and vegetables all in one bowl, so you don’t need several side dishes to turn it into dinner.
It’s also forgiving. You can use different beans, add another vegetable, or make the broth a little thicker or thinner without throwing off the whole recipe.
And despite the long-looking ingredient list, most of it comes from cans or the spice cabinet. The actual preparation is straightforward and happens in one large pot.
It’s also a good pantry dinner. Canned beans, tomatoes, and corn do most of the heavy lifting, and the ingredient list is flexible enough to work with what you already have.
A big pot makes plenty for dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day. Like a lot of beef-and-tomato soups, the flavor is arguably even better after a night in the refrigerator.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need a mixture of fresh vegetables and easy pantry staples:
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomatoes with green chilies
- Pinto beans
- Kidney beans
- Corn
- Beef broth
- Tomato sauce
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Cowboy Soup
Step 1: Add the ground beef to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, breaking the beef into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain off excess grease if necessary.
Step 2: Add the diced onion to the browned beef and cook for several minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Step 3: Peel the potatoes if desired and cut them into small, evenly sized cubes. Keeping the pieces around ½ to ¾ inch helps them cook relatively quickly and evenly.
Step 4: Add the potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, drained beans, corn, tomato sauce, and beef broth to the pot.
Step 5: Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer.
Step 6: Cover partially and simmer for about 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender. A fork should slide easily into one of the larger pieces.
Step 7: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. If you prefer more broth, add another splash of beef broth. For a thicker soup, let it simmer uncovered for another few minutes.
Step 8: Ladle the Cowboy Soup into bowls and serve hot with your favorite simple toppings or a piece of cornbread on the side.
Cowboy Soup Variations
Spicy Cowboy Soup
Add diced jalapeño, cayenne, or a little extra chili powder if you want more heat.
Cheesy Cowboy Soup
Sprinkle shredded cheddar over individual bowls and let it melt into the hot soup.
Cowboy Soup With Black Beans
Swap one of the bean varieties for black beans for a slightly different flavor and texture.
Extra-Vegetable Cowboy Soup
Add diced carrots, bell peppers, or green beans when you want to bulk up the vegetables.
Ground Turkey Cowboy Soup
Replace the ground beef with ground turkey for a lighter version, adding a little extra seasoning if needed.
Storing Leftover Cowboy Soup
Let the soup cool, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate within two hours. It will keep well for about 3–4 days.
Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until thoroughly hot. The potatoes and beans will absorb some broth while refrigerated, so add a splash of beef broth or water if the soup becomes thicker than you’d like.
Cowboy Soup can also be frozen, although potatoes may become slightly softer after thawing.
What Kind Of Ground Beef Should I Use?
Lean ground beef works particularly well because there’s less grease to drain. An 85/15 or 90/10 blend gives you plenty of beef flavor without making the broth oily.
Can I Make Cowboy Soup In A Slow Cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef first, then transfer it to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook until the potatoes are completely tender.
Is Cowboy Soup Spicy?
It doesn’t have to be. Tomatoes with green chilies and chili powder give it mild warmth, but you can choose mild tomatoes or reduce the chili powder for less heat.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Absolutely. Cowboy Soup reheats very well and can be prepared a day ahead. The flavors become even more blended after resting overnight.
Can I Use Different Beans?
Yes. Black beans, navy beans, or additional pinto beans can replace the kidney beans. Drain and rinse them before adding unless your recipe specifically uses the liquid.
Why Are My Potatoes Taking So Long?
Large potato pieces need considerably more time. Cut them into small, similar-sized cubes and keep the soup at a steady simmer until they’re fork-tender.
What To Serve With Cowboy Soup
A warm piece of cornbread is probably my favorite thing to serve with Cowboy Soup because it’s perfect for soaking up the tomato-rich broth, but crusty bread, dinner rolls, or even a handful of tortilla chips work nicely too. If you want toppings, shredded cheddar, sour cream, or sliced green onions can be set out so everyone can finish their own bowl. Since the soup already has beef, potatoes, beans, and vegetables, I usually don’t bother with another substantial side—a bowl of soup and some warm bread are plenty.
Keep the potato pieces on the smaller side so you aren’t waiting forever for them to soften while everything else is ready.
And give the soup a final taste only after it has simmered. The broth concentrates as it cooks, so it’s much easier to adjust the salt and spices accurately at the end.
Cowboy Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes diced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can corn, drained
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and drain excess grease.
- Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, pinto beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, and beef broth.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Partially cover and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency as needed.
- Serve hot with cornbread or your favorite toppings.
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