Description
Discover my family’s favorite Thick & Hearty Ranch-Style Cowboy Soup recipe. It’s a satisfying dinner, packed with flavor and easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
- Base Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups beef broth
- Hearty Add-ins:
- 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1.5 cups frozen corn
- 2 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- Flavor Boosters:
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Finishing Touches:
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the Beef & Bacon:: Grab your biggest Dutch oven or stock pot, hon. First up, render that bacon until it’s perfectly crispy. Pull it out and set aside, but leave that glorious bacon fat in the pot—that’s flavor! Then, brown your ground beef in the bacon fat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off some of the excess grease, but leave a little for richness. This is where the magic starts to happen, you can smell it already!
- Sauté the Veggies:: Into that same pot, toss in your chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Let them soften up, stirring occasionally, until they start to get tender, about 5-7 minutes. This step is key for building a deep flavor base for our Ranch-Style Cowboy Soup. I usually add a pinch of salt here, because I always forget to salt the water later. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for just another minute until fragrant—don’t let it burn!
- Build the Flavor Base:: Sprinkle in your smoked paprika and chili powder, stirring them into the veggies and beef for about a minute. This toasts the spices, releasing all their wonderful aromas. Pour in the diced tomatoes (undrained!) and the beef broth. Give it a good stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. That’s called fond, and it’s pure deliciousness!
- Simmer the Soup:: Add your peeled and diced potatoes to the pot. Bring the whole thing to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. This is where the soup really starts to come together, absorbing all those incredible flavors. I usually peek in a few times, just to admire the bubbling goodness.
- Add Beans & Corn:: Once the potatoes are fork-tender, stir in the rinsed pinto beans and the corn. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes, just long enough for everything to heat through and for the flavors to meld. This is when the soup truly starts to look like the Thick & Hearty Ranch-Style Cowboy Soup you’ve been dreaming of. Taste it, adjust seasonings if you need to—a little more salt, maybe a crack of black pepper.
- Finish with Cream & Serve:: Finally, remove the pot from the heat and stir in that glorious heavy cream and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. This adds a beautiful richness and creamy texture. Ladle your amazing Ranch-Style Cowboy Soup into bowls, top with the reserved crispy bacon, a generous sprinkle of shredded cheddar, and some fresh parsley. Oh, and a piece of crusty bread for dipping? Yes please!