Chili Beef Soup

I have been making a lot of soup this winter.  The most recent one was for Chili Beef Soup.  I told my daughter Tara what I was making and she asked a good question.  "What is the difference between chili and chili soup?"  I thought for awhile and said, "the soup is more liquid."  All I know is, this soup was soupy and perfect for a winter evening.  If I liked it and Lee liked it then maybe you will, too.

Chili Beef Soup

I like to use top round for the beef in this soup instead of ground beef.  I cook it a long time to make the cubes of beef nice and tender.  So plan on starting about 2 hours before you want to eat this soup.

1/2-1 pound top or round sirloin
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 cups beef broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon beef base, optional
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste

 

Trim and dice the beef.  I am on a diet so I used the smaller amount of the beef.  Dice the onions. 

 

Sauté the onions and the cubes of beef in about 2 Tablespoons of oil until the onions are  translucent and you can't see any pink on the meat.  Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin.  Cook until well blended.

 

Add the beef broth, beef base (if using, but it adds a lot of richness to the soup) and the diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the kidney beans and the corn.  Bring up the heat to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how hungry you are.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 

I was a good girl and didn't make any cornbread to go with this soup.  But I did add a dollop of sour cream.  That brought some creaminess to the soup.  The beef was so tender!

If you like spicy hot chili, you can add hot sauce or hot, diced chilies and jalapenos.  I don't like spicy hot food, so I leave them out.