Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, if needed
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces
- 1 can diced green chiles, 4 ounces
- ¾ cup corn
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Juice of ½ lime
- Kosher salt, to taste
Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons homemade chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Topping
- Diced avocado
- Sliced jalapeños
- Pickled red onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Avocado-lime crema
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Brown the Beef Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sit undisturbed for about 1 to 2 minutes before breaking it apart. We want actual browning here, not gray taco meat that looks like it’s going through something. 😂 Break the beef into medium crumbles and cook until deeply browned. Drain off excess grease if needed, but leave a little behind for flavor.
- Cook the Vegetables Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Caramelize the Tomato Paste Add the tomato paste directly to the pot. Cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring it into the beef and vegetables until it darkens slightly. This gives the soup a much deeper tomato flavor instead of tasting like somebody just opened a can and gave up.
- Add the Seasoning Add the homemade chili powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds. Letting the spices hit the heat before adding the liquid helps bring out more flavor.
- Build the Soup Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, diced green chiles, corn, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir everything together and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. That stuff stuck to the bottom? That’s flavor. Get it.
- Simmer Bring the soup to a light boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. The broth should reduce slightly and become richer without getting so thick that we have to start calling this chili.
- Finish the Soup Turn the heat down to low. Add the lime juice and stir. Taste and adjust with salt, additional hot sauce, lime juice, or chili powder as needed. The final broth should taste smoky, savory, slightly tangy, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.
- Build the Bowl Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with avocado, jalapeños, pickled red onions, queso fresco, cilantro, green onions, tortilla strips, and avocado-lime crema. Finish with a lime wedge on the side. And yes, take the picture before you destroy the bowl.
Chef Ken's Notes & Storage
Chef Ken’s Tip
• Plating for camera: If you’re making this for content, save some of your prettiest avocado, corn, cilantro, pickled onions, jalapeños, cheese, and tortilla strips for plating. Fresh toppings against the deep red broth are what make this bowl pop on camera.
• Tortilla strips at the end: Don’t add the tortilla strips until the very end. Nobody asked for tortilla-strip oatmeal.
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