Southwest Chili-Soup

/ Main Dishes, QJA Cooking, Soups / By

If you can turn on a stove, open a can and stir a pot you can make this soup.  I swear.

It makes a TON and it keeps in the freezer forever.  I love this one because it’s really easy to make, doesn’t cost much, and goes a long way for the money.  Also, this is one of those recipes that you can absolutely fiddle with.  You can change out the beans, vegetables, protein (like tofu) and the seasoning to fit your taste.

I make this every month or two as a big batch and then put up most of it in small, 12-ounce single-serving storage containers that I freeze.  I keep one or two of them in the fridge at any given time for when I need a fast, delicious meal on the run.

It is also an exceptional weight-loss tool.   This soup… or chili… or stew… or whatever you want to call it… was instrumental in helping me go from 295lbs to 240 in a matter of months.  Don’t get me wrong, I did exercise and reduced food-intake too.  However, one of these for lunch gave plenty of nutrition and volume to easily get through the day.  In fact, for a smaller person, you could get by with a smaller container for lunch.

INGREDIENTS

Soup

  • 32 ounces of tomato juice (I prefer low-sodium)
  • 32 ounces of green enchilada sauce
  • 1  15-ounce can Kuner’s Jalapeno Black Beans
  • 1  14.5-ounce can Del Monte Sliced Potatoes
  • 1  15-ounce Kuner’s Ranchero Beans
  • 1  15-ounce Kuner’s Kidney Beans
  • 1  14.5-ounce Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • 1  15-ounce Kuner’s Great Northern Beans
  • 1  15-ounce Del Monte Cut Green Beans
  • 1  15-ounce Kuner’s Whole Kernel Corn
  • 1  10-ounce Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies
  • 1  8-ounce can generic diced green chilies
  • 2 tablespoon ground cumin (add or reduce to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons oregano (I prefer fresh chopped)
  • 3 tablespoons basil (I really prefer fresh)
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper
  • 4 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (reduce if you don’t like a little ZING!)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Protein Addition

  • 2  Pounds Ground Beef (or chorizo or breakfast sausage or other meat, and yes, tofu can suffice)

TOOLS

  • 10-12 quart stainless steel pot
  • stiff spatula or spoon
  • ladle
  • sharp knife (if you will be chopping your own basil and oregano)
  • 8-15 storage contains depending on how much you want to store

PREPARATION

Ground Beef (or other Protein)

  1. pre-heat a the large pot to ¾ heat
  2. add in your olive oil and wait twenty seconds
  3. add ¼ cup cilantro and ¼ cup diced onion
  4. cook down so the onion becomes slightly browned and there is no water in the bottom of the pot
  5. add in the ground beef (or other protein mass)  and brown to your liking

NOTE: I prefer a fairly well-browned meat as the browning can add a nice flavor to the mix

  1. reduce heat to about 1/3 maximum so that it is a low simmer temperature

Soup / Stew

Now comes the really easy part.

  1. add 16 ounces of tomato juice (you can add more later to thin the mix)
  2. Add the green enchilada sauce
  3. add can of Kuner’s Jalapeno Black Beans
  4. add can of Del Monte Sliced Potatoes
  5. add can of Kuner’s Ranchero Beans
  6. add can of Kuner’s Kidney Beans
  7. add can of Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  8. add can of Kuner’s Great Northern Beans
  9. add can of Del Monte Cut Green Beans
  10. add can of Kuner’s Whole Kernel Corn
  11. add can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies
  12. add can of can generic diced green chilies
  13. add 2 tablespoon ground cumin
  14. add 3 tablespoons oregano
  15. add 3 tablespoons basil
  16. add 1 tablespoon celery salt
  17. add 1 tablespoon white pepper
  18. add 4 tablespoons minced garlic
  19. 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (reduce if you don’t like a little ZING!)
  20. mix together thoroughly ensuring ground beef (or other protein) is off the bottom of the pot and distributed throughout
  21. raise heat to medium and bring to a boil stirring frequently
  22. reduce heat to lowest setting to keep warm as long as it is in the pot
  23. when the soup reaches a boil you can serve immediately

NOTE: I usually let this cool for an hour or two so that the spice flavors permeate into the meat and vegetables within, but this is not necessary

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

The soup by itself is wonderful.  However, here are some options to jazz it up a little

  • serve over crushed or whole tortilla chips / strips
  • put a few tablespoons of grated cheddar or pepperjack cheese in your bowl first
  • add a dollop of sour cream
  • add a few slices of avocado over the top
  • add a splash of lime juice
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