WildWSS: Spicy Potato Beef Soup

Spicy Potato Beef Soup

I know, I know! It's not soup weather. Actually, our weather has been all over the board - warm for a few days, cool the next and then several days of blazing hot! What can you do, I ask? The answer is NOTHING. Well nothing is not good enough and with a recent cool stretch this Spicy Potato Beef Soup just fit the bill - not to mention the weather... So, if it's not soup weather for you now, simply save this little goody for later. Fall would be good!

Are you familiar with the history of the potato? Well, are you? Did you know the Inca's cultivated potatoes around 3000 B.C.? In Europe, potatoes were originally thought to be poisonous or evil and were even regarded as a dangerous aphrodisiac. The fastest way to a man's heart is through his...

The first potatoes arrived in North America around 1621. Do you know the history of the famous "Idaho Potato"? For a little "Potato History", click here: History & Origin of the Potato! Ancestry.com could not have provided such a storied background!

Enough dribble! We've got a delish soup recipe to whip up. If you like potatoes and ground beef (lean, lean, lean) and tomato soup and some kicked-up spice, then give this easy, peasy Spicy Dicey Potato Beef Soup a try. Are you ready?

Let's Try It!

Ingredients: (approx. 6-8 servings)

1 lb. ground beef (I use lean 96/4.)
4 c. cubed peeled potatoes (approximately 1/2 inch cubes)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans 4 oz. diced green chiles
3 cans 8 oz. tomato sauce
4 c. water
2 tsp. salt (I used a little sea salt.)
1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. hot pepper sauce (or to taste & I used Tapatio)
Red Pepper flakes, about 1 teaspoon or to taste

note: Pay no attention to that wine bottle in the background, as the cook needs some motivation!

Preparation:

1. Brown ground beef in a medium to large dutch oven until no longer pink. Drain if necessary (The
96/4 lean ground beef renders very little fat.).

2. Add the onion, chiles, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Give it all a good stir to combine.

3. Add the potatoes and water. Give it another good stir to combine the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.

4. Cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. The soup should slightly thicken.

Give yourself a big KISS! 'Cause how easy was that... Now, you can dress it up a bit with your own condiments - chopped scallions, your favorite shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, more pepper flakes or more hot sauce. Endless options!

I hope you enjoy your Easy, Peasy, Spicy, Dicey Potato Beef Soup!