Chili Soup

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones you come back to again and again. This Chili Soup strips the genre down to bare essentials: browned ground beef, onions, kidney beans, strained tomatoes, chili powder, and water.

The real curveball? A full cup of cream stirred in at the end, turning this from a standard chili-soup hybrid into something richer and more velvety than you’d expect from such a short ingredient list.

The recipe says “simmer, the longer the better," and that’s advice worth taking. Give it an hour or two on the lowest flame you’ve got and the flavors will reward your patience.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the beef well before adding liquids. Good color on the meat means deeper flavor in the finished soup.
• Add the cream at the end and keep the heat gentle so it doesn’t curdle. Stir it in off the burner if you’re nervous.
• Season as you go. Start with a teaspoon of chili powder and build up. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.