Tomato soup chili is a minimal ingredient recipe, only needing a large can of tomato soup and 6 other ingredients. Perfect for a simple dinner packed with hearty comforting flavors.
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We aren't big fans of canned tomato soup around here, but we somehow find tomato soup in the cupboards now and again. We buy it. We just don't eat it. Although it does pair well with Baked Grilled Cheese, we often forget it exists, and the cycle repeats.
With the kids not enjoying tomato foods (except ketchup and spaghetti), it's hard to find an excuse to cook it up. This is why I found a way to repurpose leftovers into a meal that we can all agree on.
Making chili with tomato soup is simple, easy, and a wonderful way to use up those unwanted or unused cans of soup. Perfect for a Clean Out the Pantry Challenge!
Adding in a few beans and some meat, we have a warm and comforting dish the kids can love, especially when I serve it with some Jiffy Cornbread With Cake Mix!
Note: If you want some incredible homemade tomato soup, be sure to check out our Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup. It's delicious and can be used in this chili too!
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's minimal effort. Just a few ingredients and steps and you're done and waiting for it to simmer to perfection. The longer your chili cooks, the deeper the flavor profile and the more it thickens up too. This is one of those foods where the leftovers taste even better the next day.
- It's customizable. Want more chunks? Want to bulk it up a bit? Add in a can of drained tomatoes, and add in some more meat or beans. There's so much room to play with this recipe and the results are always fabulous.
- It's pretty cheap. This recipe is just a little over $2 per serving, and it's made with simple ingredients, so you know exactly what's going in it. This is a great way to make a Meal Plan on a Tight Budget.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Ground beef- You will need some ground beef for this recipe. I usually use about ¾ cups of ground meat when I'm trying to Save Money by Stretching Meat, but you can easily add in up to 2 pounds if you want it really meaty.
Mixed chili beans- Adding in mixed chili beans (undrained) will give us a nice variety of beans and added flavor thanks to the liquid in the cans.
Chili powder- For added flavor, add in some chili powder. You can add in more or add in a packet of chili seasoning blend instead. If you don't have chili powder, some DIY Taco Seasoning will work in a pinch!
Garlic- Everything is better with a little garlic. Adding in minced garlic will give us a more aromatic dish, but my husband says you can easily double or triple the garlic here.
Tomato soup- You will need a few small cans or one large can of condensed tomato soup. The brand doesn't matter. This is the base of the recipe and it will give us a really creamy broth.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Beans. If desired, you can use (3) 15-ounce sized cans of any beans. Black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, etc. Drain these beans before use. You may wish to add in a little water (about 1 cup) and some additional seasonings to the chili to make up for the loss of liquid and flavor.
Ground beef. You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or pork sausage, depending on what you have on hand or would prefer. Spicy Italian sausage works great for a nice kick of heat!
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Add in just about anything to make this chili unique and fun. Find yourself with carrots, corn, diced tomatoes, or bell peppers? Add them to the chili and enjoy! (Fresh veggies should be added with the onions and cooked until softened.)
Check out How a Messy Pantry Costs You Money and consider a few add-ins that will help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
📖 Variations- Slow Cooker
Brown the onions and ground beef in a skillet and drain the grease. Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Serve warm, and enjoy.
OR make some Chocolate Crockpot Lava Cake while you cook your chili on the stove and enjoy a nice after-dinner dessert.
🔪 Instructions for Tomato Soup Chili
Step 1: Place a medium sized pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil and diced onions (Image 1).
Step 2: Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are softened. They should appear translucent (Image 2).
Step 3: Add in the ground beef (Image 3).
Step 4: Cook until the meat has browned, breaking it up as you go. Drain any excess grease and return the pot to the heat (Image 4).
Step 5: Add your garlic and chili powder to the pot (Image 5).
Step 6: Stir well to combine (Image 6).
Step 7: Add in the tomato soup and the cans of mixed chili beans. Do not drain the beans beforehand (Image 7).
Step 8: Stir gently to combine (Image 8).
Step 9: Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. The chili will be thick but stir occasionally to prevent burning.
The flavor will get better the longer it cooks because the flavors can meld together.
Serve warm with cornbread and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
- You can customize the chili. This chili recipe serves as an excellent starting point to personalize according to your preferences. Its creamy texture, akin to tomato soup, adds to its appeal.
- Important note. Remember to stir the chili every few minutes to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pan, as the contents may settle and stick.
- Here's a neat trick. Attempt to stand your wooden spoon upright in the center of the pot of chili. It's a fun way to gauge the thickness of your chili, and it adds a neat visual touch.
🍳 Reheating
Microwave Reheating: I like to reheat my chili one serving at a time in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes, with a paper towel loosely covering the top. This helps to keep it from splashing around and making the microwave messy if it gets too hot. Stir halfway through for even cooking.
🥗 Side Dishes
You can serve this chili with just about anything your heart desires. A lot of families serve their chili with Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, but we prefer cornbread like our Cornbread Bundt Cake or Jiffy Jalapeno Cornbread. A simple green salad like our Iceberg Salad also works great!
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
This is one of those recipes that we like to meal prep in advance (like a day or two before we want to eat it). This is because the chili flavors get so much better as the chili ages.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Keep this chili well covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezer Storage: Alternatively, you can freeze the chili in an airtight container and thaw it overnight in the fridge before heating and serving.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Condensed tomato soup is a little thinner than tomato sauce, but they can both be used interchangeably. While it won't thicken the soup it will give it a creamier consistency.
Chili is a type of Tex-Mex cuisine that is more like a stew than anything else. To be considered a chili, there is a solid to liquid ratio that shows there are more solids than liquids. It should be mostly meat or veggies and simmered in a tomato sauce base.
You can thicken chili by adding in a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch or by adding in a small can of tomato paste. This chili recipe is pretty thick as-is and may not require any additional thickening agents.
You can use tomato soup in chili. After your meat and vegetable base is cooked, add beans, tomatoes, or seasonings, and your canned tomato soup. Many recipes use chicken stock or water to thin out the chili, so this canned soup will act as the replacement.
They are the same thing, originally but condensed soup is cooked longer to make it thicker. Condensed soup is boiled into a thick stock, with most water removed.
❤️ More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you tried this tomato soup chili, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Tomato Soup Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - ($0.28)
- 1 large onion, diced - ($0.91)
- 1 pound ground beef - ($4.97)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced - ($0.06)
- 2 teaspoon chili powder - ($0.16)
- 1 can (26 ounces) condensed tomato soup - ($1.64)
- 3 cans (15 ounces each) mixed chili beans - ($2.46)
Instructions
- Cook onion. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Brown beef. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess grease and return the pot to the heat.
- Season. Stir in minced garlic and chili powder until fragrant and evenly combined.
- Add beans and soup. Add condensed tomato soup and undrained chili beans. Stir gently to combine.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Serve. Serve warm with cornbread or your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Option. Brown onion and beef in a skillet, then transfer to a slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours.
- Cooking Tips. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Chili thickens as it simmers and improves in flavor over time.
- Reheating. Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, covered loosely.
- Storage. Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container or freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutritional Information
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Jack B says
Has anyone tried mixed canned Hormel chili with canned chili beans to lower the sodium and bulk up the dish?
Nicole Durham says
I haven’t tried that combo myself, but it sounds interesting. Let me know if you give it a try, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Sarah says
I make a similar version of this but I omitted the garlic and use kidney bean and a bit of cumin about 1 1/2 tbls as well as substituting the ground beef for chicken ( I use ground beef also and it's delicious) oh and a few tbls of sugar. It's a family favorite 😍
Nicole Durham says
That does sound delicious!
Franny says
Hi Nicole
I’m very excited to see this chili soup recipe
I’m in my 60’s and this recipe has always been a favorite growing up
When I make it, I’m flooded with,….. “please can I have 2nds?
My mom use to cook for Mr Ford, and he LOVED her chili soup too
Till this day it’s the only chili soup that I make
But, I will share that I add a can of Rotel tomatoes n it gives this recipe a nice bump
Mater a fact I’m making this soup today, since we got hit with so much snow,……. Nice hot bowl of chili soup with a slice of corn bread
It was a pleasure to see this recipe again after all these years