Hearty Cowboy Soup (Easy One-Pot Recipe!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 8 | Difficulty: Easy

Saddle up for the heartiest, most satisfying soup this side of the Mississippi! This cowboy soup combines everything you love about Tex-Mex comfort food—seasoned ground beef, tender potatoes, hearty beans, and smoky spices—all simmered together in one pot for an easy weeknight meal that feeds a crowd. Imagine the bold flavors of the Wild West: savory beef broth mingling with sweet corn, creamy black-eyed peas, and vegetables seasoned with smoky paprika and chili powder. Each spoonful delivers protein-packed goodness with tender potatoes, crisp vegetables, and perfectly seasoned ground beef that makes this soup both filling and nutritious. Whether you’re feeding hungry cowboys, busy families, or hosting a casual dinner party, this budget-friendly recipe comes together in just 45 minutes with mostly pantry staples. The best part? It’s incredibly versatile—make it in your Dutch oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, and customize it with whatever vegetables or beans you have on hand. This dump-and-go recipe even tastes better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep or freezer meals.

Why You’ll Love This Cowboy Soup Recipe

This easy cowboy soup comes together in one pot with minimal cleanup, making weeknight cooking a breeze. Using budget-friendly ingredients like ground beef, canned beans, and pantry staples keeps costs low while feeding 8 people generously. The recipe is incredibly flexible—swap vegetables, beans, or spices based on what you have on hand. Ready in just 45 minutes from start to finish, it’s faster than ordering takeout and way healthier. The Tex-Mex inspired seasonings create bold, smoky flavors that appeal to both kids and adults. Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors continue to develop. It’s freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep, lasting up to 3 months frozen.

What You Need for Cowboy Soup

Essential Soup Base Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil – for sautéing vegetables
• 1 medium yellow onion – diced for sweet aromatic base
• 3 stalks celery – diced, part of classic mirepoix
• 4 cloves fresh garlic – minced for robust flavor
• 2 pounds ground beef – provides protein and hearty texture
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes – cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4 medium potatoes
• 4 carrots – peeled and sliced into rounds

Canned Ingredients and Add-Ins

• 1 can green beans – 14.5 ounces, drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste – adds concentrated tomato flavor
• 1 can diced tomatoes – 14.5 ounces with juices, or fire-roasted
• 1 can black-eyed peas – 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn – 15 ounces, drained
• 4-6 cups beef broth – or bone broth for extra nutrition

Tex-Mex Seasonings

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning – blend of herbs
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – adds smoky depth
• 2 teaspoons chili powder – creates southwest flavor
• Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes – to taste

How to Make Cowboy Soup (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Sautéing the Vegetables

1. Heat the Dutch oven (1 minute): Place large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat until shimmering.
2. Cook aromatics (3-4 minutes): Add diced onion and celery to hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until vegetables become soft and translucent.
3. Add garlic (1-2 minutes): Stir in minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. (Don’t let garlic burn or it becomes bitter.)

Step 2: Browning the Ground Beef

4. Brown the beef (8-10 minutes): Add ground beef to pot with vegetables. Break beef apart with wooden spoon into small crumbles as it cooks. Continue cooking until no pink remains and beef is nicely browned. (Browning adds flavor through caramelization.)
5. Drain excess fat (1 minute, optional): If your beef releases excessive grease, carefully drain it off, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.

Step 3: Building the Soup

6. Add remaining ingredients (3 minutes): Stir in potatoes, carrots, green beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with juices, black-eyed peas, corn, and all seasonings (Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes). Mix well to combine.
7. Add broth (1 minute): Pour in 4 cups beef broth and stir. Add up to 2 more cups broth to reach desired consistency—use 6 cups for soupier texture, 4-5 cups for thicker stew-like consistency.

Step 4: Simmering to Perfection

8. Bring to boil (5 minutes): Turn heat to high and bring soup to rolling boil, stirring occasionally.
9. Simmer covered (14-16 minutes): Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot with lid and let simmer for 14-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender. (Don’t overcook or potatoes become mushy.)
10. Season to taste (2 minutes): Taste soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.

Step 5: Serving

11. Serve hot (2 minutes): Ladle soup into bowls. Top with desired garnishes like shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, or crushed tortilla chips. Serve with cornbread or crusty bread for dipping.

Hearty Cowboy Soup

One-pot cowboy soup with ground beef, potatoes, beans, and Tex-Mex seasonings. Budget-friendly, filling, and ready in 45 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Tex-Mex

Servings 8 servings

Calories 380 kcal

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven or heavy pot
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Can opener
• Ladle

Ingredients

  

For the Soup Base

• 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing vegetables
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced – part of mirepoix
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 2 pounds ground beef 80/20 blend recommended
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces – about 4 medium potatoes
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced into rounds

Canned Ingredients

• 1 can green beans 14.5 ounces, drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste adds concentrated flavor
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces with juices – fire-roasted adds depth
• 1 can black-eyed peas 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn 15 ounces, drained
• 4-6 cups beef broth start with 4 cups, add more for desired consistency

Tex-Mex Seasonings

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend of herbs
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika adds smoky depth
• 2 teaspoons chili powder creates southwest flavor
• salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add diced onion and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and translucent.
• Add minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Don’t let it burn.
• Add ground beef to pot with vegetables. Break beef apart with wooden spoon into small crumbles as it cooks. Cook for 8-10 minutes until no pink remains and beef is nicely browned. If beef releases excessive grease, drain it off, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
• Stir in potatoes, carrots, drained green beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with juices, drained black-eyed peas, drained corn, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
• Pour in 4 cups beef broth and stir. Add up to 2 more cups broth to reach desired consistency (6 cups total for soupier texture, 4-5 cups for thicker stew-like consistency).
• Turn heat to high and bring soup to rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot with lid, and simmer for 14-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender.
• Taste soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed. Serve hot with desired toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, or tortilla chips.

Notes

Time-Saving: Use frozen mirepoix (pre-diced onion, celery, carrots) to skip chopping.

Don’t Overcook: Soup is ready when potatoes are fork-tender. Overcooking creates mushy vegetables.

Better Next Day: Let soup sit overnight for enhanced flavors.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Add broth when reheating as vegetables absorb liquid.

Freezing: Cool completely, store in freezer-safe containers up to 3 months.

Slow Cooker: Brown meat first, add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook low 5-6 hours or high 6-8 hours.

Instant Pot: Sauté vegetables and meat, add ingredients, pressure cook 15 minutes with quick release.

Variations: Swap beans, add bell peppers/mushrooms, use ground turkey, or replace potatoes with cauliflower for low-carb.

Keyword budget friendly, cowboy soup, Easy Dinner, ground beef soup, Hearty Soup, one pot soup, tex mex soup

Expert Tips for the Best Cowboy Soup

Use frozen mirepoix (pre-diced onion, celery, and carrots) to save significant chopping time. Don’t overcook the soup—it’s ready when potatoes are fork-tender, as overcooking creates mushy vegetables. Let soup sit overnight for even better flavor as seasonings continue to develop. Add more broth when reheating leftovers since vegetables absorb liquid as soup sits. Get creative with vegetables you have on hand—bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach all work beautifully. For spicier soup, add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or diced jalapeños. Make it low-carb by swapping potatoes for cauliflower florets. Try our Taco Pasta for another easy ground beef dinner.

How to Store and Serve Cowboy Soup

Store cooled soup in airtight containers in refrigerator for up to 4 days. For freezer storage, allow soup to cool completely then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags, removing as much air as possible. Label and date, then store flat in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in refrigerator then warm on stovetop or in microwave until heated through. This hearty soup is satisfying on its own but pairs perfectly with cornbread, biscuits, or crusty bread for dipping. Serve with classic toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or crushed tortilla chips. For complete meal, add a simple green salad or coleslaw on the side.

Cowboy Soup Recipe Variations You’ll Love

Create slow cooker cowboy soup by browning meat on stove first, then adding everything to slow cooker on low 5-6 hours or high 6-8 hours. Make Instant Pot version by sautéing vegetables and meat using sauté function, then pressure cooking (manual) 15 minutes with quick release. Try different beans like black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or chili beans. Add more vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or stir in fresh spinach at the end. Make it spicier with extra chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or diced green chiles. Create low-carb version by replacing potatoes with cauliflower florets. For more Tex-Mex inspired meals, try our Mexican Lasagna and Cheesy Taco Rice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cowboy Soup

Final Thoughts on This Cowboy Soup Recipe

This hearty cowboy soup brings the bold, satisfying flavors of the Wild West straight to your dinner table with minimal effort and maximum comfort. Packed with protein from ground beef and beans, loaded with vegetables, and seasoned with smoky Tex-Mex spices, it’s the kind of soul-warming meal that brings everyone to the table. The one-pot cooking method means easy cleanup, while the budget-friendly ingredients keep costs low without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family on a busy Tuesday or meal prepping for the week ahead, this versatile soup adapts to your schedule with options for Dutch oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot cooking. The fact that it tastes even better the next day makes it perfect for leftovers or freezer meals. Love this recipe? Save it to your Pinterest boards and follow us on Pinterest at for more hearty, satisfying comfort food recipes!