Chili Soup
This chili soup is packed with incredible flavors and is surprisingly easy to make. It’s hearty, comforting, and the perfect dish to feed a crowd. With simple, budget-friendly ingredients, this chili soup is a winner for busy weeknights.
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I am a chili fan and this is super tasty!
This chili soup is a twist on the classic chili, with a soupier consistency and all the flavors you love. It’s loaded with ground beef, beans, and veggies, all simmered in a savory, spiced broth. Top it with your favorite chili fixings, like cheese, sour cream, and green onions, for a meal everyone will love.
If you love tomato-based soups, you should also try my taco soup and homemade basil soup recipe. They’re family favorites we can’t get enough of!
Everyone has their own personal chili recipe – and this is mine. After years of tweaking the recipe, I settled on this one. It’s my go-to easy recipe for weeknight meals. Yes, we have this weekly in the winter. My kids love it and so do I.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Family Favorite: This chili soup is a hit with both kids and adults. It’s a go-to recipe for cozy family dinners.
- Flavor-Packed: Despite its simple ingredients, like my favorite venison chili, this chili soup is incredibly flavorful. The combination of ground beef, tomatoes, and chili seasoning creates a hearty flavor that’s hard to resist.
- Budget-Friendly: This recipe is not only delicious but also easy on the wallet. It’s a great way to feed a crowd without breaking the bank.
- Comfort Food: There’s nothing like a warm bowl of chili to provide comfort on a chilly day. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
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Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef: The star of our chili soup, this will add a rich, meaty flavor and a hearty texture.
- Celery: It may seem like a humble ingredient, but celery adds a nice crunch and a subtle, savory flavor.
- Onion: This will bring a sweet and tangy flavor to the soup, as well as a bit of texture.
- Green Bell Pepper: It adds a fresh, slightly bitter flavor and a pop of color to the soup.
- Diced and Crushed Tomatoes: These will give the soup a thick, chunky texture and a rich, tangy flavor.
- Tomato Sauce: It will add a smooth, velvety texture and a concentrated tomato flavor to the soup.
- Chili Seasoning: This is where the heat and the spice come from, so use as much or as little as you like.
- Kidney Beans and Pinto Beans: They add a nice, soft texture and a creamy flavor to the soup, as well as a good source of protein.
- Salt and Pepper: We’ll use these to balance all the flavors perfectly.
Equipment
- Skillet – You’ll need a large skillet to brown the ground beef and cook the vegetables.
- Large Pot – This is essential for combining all the ingredients and simmering the chili soup for an hour.
How to Make Chili Soup
Preparation
Before you start cooking, make sure you have all your ingredients on hand. You’ll need ground beef, celery, onion, green pepper, canned kidney beans, canned tomato soup, diced tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and water.
Step 1 – Brown the Ground Beef
In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Make sure to break it into crumbles as it cooks. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s no longer pink. Drain the grease.
Step 2 – Add the Vegetables
Stir in the celery, onion, and green pepper with the ground beef. Keep stirring until the onion is no longer translucent.
Step 3 – Add the Remaining Ingredients
Now, it’s time to add the rest of the ingredients. Pour in the canned kidney beans, canned tomato soup, diced tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and water. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Step 4 – Bring to a Boil and Simmer
Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for one hour. This will help all the flavors meld together and make the soup nice and hearty.
Step 5 – Serve
After an hour, your chili soup is ready to serve. Ladle it into bowls and top with your favorite chili toppings, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, or green onions. Enjoy your warm, comforting bowl of homemade chili soup!
Expert Tip
The quality and flavor of your tomato products will directly impact the flavor of the chili. My personal preference is Red Gold or Dei Fratelli brand if I am purchasing in the grocery store. I also use my own canned tomatoes.
Recipe Variations
- Spicier: If you like your chili soup with a little more heat, consider using a spicier chili seasoning. This simple swap will give your soup a bolder, spicier flavor that’s perfect for those who love a bit of heat in their meals.
- Beans: The recipe calls for kidney and pinto beans, but feel free to experiment with different types of beans. Black beans or navy beans can be great alternatives and add a unique twist to your chili soup.
- Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, simply omit the ground beef and add extra beans. You can also add some corn or extra vegetables for a hearty, meat-free chili soup.
What to Serve With
- For a hearty, soul-warming meal, serve this classic chili soup alongside a slice of homemade cornbread. The sweetness of the cornbread is the perfect complement to the spicy kick of the chili.
- If you’re looking for a quick and easy option, try serving it with seasoned oyster crackers. The crunchy, savory crackers add a nice texture to the dish.
- Try adding a scoop of chili on top of a bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes. The creamy potatoes are a great balance to the bold flavors of the chili.
Make Ahead Instructions
Make this recipe as directed and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove to serve. I actually think this recipe is even better on the second day!
Recipe FAQs
You can use any type of ground beef for this recipe, but I prefer to use 85% lean. It has enough fat to give the soup flavor but not so much that it makes the soup greasy.
Absolutely! This recipe is very versatile. You can use ground turkey, chicken, or even crumbled tofu for a vegetarian option. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time as needed, as different meats may require different cooking times.
Yes. Drain the beans in this recipe. I prefer draining and rinsing the beans before adding to the soup.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: After enjoying this delicious chili soup, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: If you’d like to save some for later, this soup can be frozen. Once it has cooled completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy the soup, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat it on the stovetop and bring it to a gentle boil then serve immediately.
More Ground Beef Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This chili soup recipe yields a hearty and generous pot of soup, enough to serve 12 people.
- How to Scale: If you’re planning to serve more than 12 people, you can easily double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. Just make sure your cooking pot is large enough to accommodate the increased quantity. If not, you can cook it in two separate batches to ensure that it’s cooked evenly.
Chili Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 10 oz diced tomatoes
- 28 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2.5 oz chili seasoning or 2 Tablespoons of homemade chili seasoning
- 14 oz kidney bean drained and rinsed
- 14 oz pinto beans drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large stockpot and break it into crumbles. Cook until no longer pink, then drain the grease.
- Add the celery, onion, and green pepper to the ground beef until the onion is no longer translucent.
- Pour in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least one hour.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to provide more detailed information. The recipe remains the same.
This looks awesome and yet simplistic. But I think I will add extra hamburger as well. Yummy 😋 😋
This looks like a great recipe to keep around this fall!
It is! The best.
There is nothing better than a good bowl of chili on a cold night. This version sounds just delicious, so comforting
It is! The perfect fall soup.
For me fall screams for chili. It’s my favorite fall comfort food.
I’m always looking for quick easy chili recipes so I will try this one, only changes I can see off the bat is subbing ranch style beans and adding cheddar cheese soup
Made this today with the changes I listed above, it’s a great starter recipe and can be doctored up if you want to,my Texas friends call it hamburger soup when I bring a similar recipe to trout camp but they always eat it.
Interesting idea to add the cheddar cheese soup! I’ll have to give that a try.