Old Fashioned Homemade chili
This Amish Chili soup recipe makes a hearty and warming comfort food for cold or rainy days. It's a dish full of beef, beans, tomatoes, and lots of flavor and spice. It is a very easy and filling meal that does not take long to prepare.
I don't usually make soups very much in the summertime. But this home-style chili recipe is my wintertime go-to when I need to prepare a quick meal.
I always think that I need some cornbread to go with it though. So I preheat my oven while getting my pot of chili started. Then I mix up a quick batch of Amish cornbread, which is super easy and quick to make as well. (find that recipe here)
And you can have this amazing and comforting meal of cornbread and chili ready to eat within an hour.
Easy chili soup
If you use canned beans, chili soup is very fast and easy to make. And I always keep cans of a few different kinds of beans on hand because I have numerous different meals we like, that are very quick to put together using canned beans.
But it is cheaper and less waste, to use dried beans. It just takes a little more forethought and time.
In case you've never used dried beans, let me assure you that it is very easy to cook and use dried beans instead of canned beans. Just soak them in a pot of water overnight. The next day you drain the water and cover them with fresh water, then cook them for about an hour or until soft. Add some seasonings, and you can use these in any recipe.
I do like to use a variety of beans in my chili though. It just brings more texture and life to the soup.
My Amish mom loaded her chili with all kinds of delicious additions, like peppers, sliced mushrooms, and black olives.
My kids don't always appreciate all the extras, plus I don't always have them on hand. So I just make a traditional old-fashioned chili but feel free to get adventurous and try adding some extras that you think might pair well.
Can I freeze this tomato and chili soup?
Yes, you sure can freeze this Amish chili soup. You could make a double batch and freeze your leftovers for more super handy meals of old-fashioned chili.
When I buy sour cream, or quart-sized yogurt, etc. I wash and save the containers. These are great containers to use for freezing things, such as this chili bean soup, etc.
Then when you know that you have a busy day ahead of you and won't have time to cook, just pull your container of chili soup out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or you can even pull it out last minute and thaw it in the microwave on the defrost setting). Now you have a handy meal to warm up.
At home with my mom, we used to can different kinds of soups for handy meals on busy days. But canning takes a lot more work than just throwing a couple of containers in the freezer.
This is the best classic chili recipe and is so easy to make!
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I have a 4 1/2 quart cooking pot that I use all the time. It's the perfect size for a batch of chili to feed my family.
I also love using wooden spoons to stir my chili bean soup.
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More Amish comfort food recipes:
Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie
Chicken Corn Noodle Soup Recipe
Amish Chili Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 lb. hamburger, ground turkey, or ground venison
- 1 Tbs. oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. onion, chopped
- 1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
- 3 cans chili beans, or you can use any beans you prefer, I like to use the mixed chili beans
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 - 4 c. tomato juice
- 1 c. sliced mushrooms, optional
- 1 c. black olives, optional
- 1 - 2 Tbsp. chili powder depending on how spicy you want it
- 3/4 tsp. garlic salt
- 3/4 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt, or as needed to suit your taste
Instructions
- Brown, crumble and drain your hamburger.1 - 1 1/2 lb. hamburger, ground turkey, or ground venison
- Put oil in large pot, add chopped garlic, onion, and pepper. Saute for a minute or two.1 Tbs. oil, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/4 c. onion, chopped, 1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
- Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.3 cans chili beans, or you can use any beans you prefer, I like to use the mixed chili beans, 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 3 - 4 c. tomato juice, 1 c. sliced mushrooms, optional, 1 c. black olives, optional, 1 - 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 3/4 tsp. garlic salt, 3/4 tsp. cumin powder, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, or as needed to suit your taste
- Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, to get all the flavor incorporated.
- Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat to enjoy.
PopPop
When using canned beans in this Amish chili recipe, do you drain the canned beans before adding to the recipe?
Anna
I mostly use chili beans (and mixed chili beans), and they are in a chili sauce so I do not drain them. But when adding kidney beans, etc. I would drain them.
Doug
How many ounces of petite tomatoes do you use? 16, 32 ?
Anna
I use the 16 oz. But this recipe is very versatile, if you want more tomatoes, feel free to add a larger can.