Chili potato soup is a delicious dish that combines potatoes and peppers into one meal.
This recipe is great because it’s both healthy and full of flavor.
This chili potato soup is the perfect winter comfort food.
It’s hearty, filling, and has just the right amount of spice.
How Long Does It Take To Make Chili Potato Soup?
The good news about this recipe is that you can actually make it in under 30 minutes! That’s fast enough so that you don’t have to wait too long before having something warm on your table.
The bad news is that there isn’t an exact measurement of time involved here.
In order to get an accurate estimate, we need to know how many servings you’ll be making at once.
If you’re planning on having a large crowd over for dinner, then you should probably prepare more than what you think you’ll need.
If you only plan on serving yourself or two people, then maybe you could cut back some steps from the recipe below.
We recommend starting off with 5 cups of potatoes (peeled) and 2 tablespoons of cumin powder.
There’s no set way to measure out the spices, but if you want to use dried chilies as well, then feel free to add them after cooking.
Once everything is done, let the soup cool down completely before adding any additional salt or pepper to taste.
You won’t need anything else to complete this recipe.
Step 1 – Peel & Chop Your Potatoes
In addition to being nutritious, potatoes also help thicken up your chili when cooked properly.
They will absorb all of the liquid that you cook them in, which means they end up getting mushy when you stir-fry them.
To avoid this, start by peeling and chopping your potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
For best results, use medium sized potatoes like redskin or russets.
Don’t worry about washing these since they’re already clean.
Then go ahead and place them in a pot filled with cold water.
Keep the heat low until the water boils, then turn the stove off.
Step 2 – Dice Up Some Peppers
Next, slice open your peppers.
Depending on what kind you choose to use, you might not even need to remove the seeds and ribs.
Just do whatever feels comfortable for you.
After removing the stems and stems, dice up each piece into small chunks.
Step 3 – Add Onions & Garlic
Once you’ve diced up your onions and garlic, add them to the pot along with the chopped tomatoes.
Be sure to keep stirring so that nothing burns while the mixture cooks.
Cook the vegetables for 10-15 minutes (depending on their size), then add the cumin powder and ground black pepper.
Step 4 – Mix Everything Together
Now comes the fun part.
Use a wooden spoon to mix together all of the previously mentioned ingredients thoroughly.
As I said earlier, this process takes less than 15 minutes, so you shouldn’t stress much.
Step 5 – Heat Things Up
After mixing things up, put the pot back on the stove.
Turn the burner on high for 2-4 minutes.
When the chili starts bubbling away, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 6 – Simmer Chili For 20 Minutes
Cooking the chili for 20 minutes gives it plenty of time to simmer without burning.
During this process, the flavors will combine nicely.
However, you may notice that the chili becomes quite thick during this step.
That’s okay though because you can always thin it out later.
Step 7 – Let Soup Cool Down Completely
When the chili reaches its boiling point, turn off the heat.
Wait about 10 minutes to allow it to cool down completely.
At this stage, the chili should look somewhat dark green.
Now it’s time to strain it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
Step 8 – Season With Salt & Pepper
Finally, season the chili with salt and pepper.
Feel free to adjust the amounts according to your preferences.
Remember that chili tends to become very salty itself, so you don’t necessarily need to add extra salt.
Also remember to adjust the seasoning based on whether you’re using fresh or canned tomatoes.
What Ingredients Are Needed For Chili Potato Soup?
For this recipe you will need:
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- 6 russet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
- Black pepper to taste
In addition to these basic ingredients, there are other ways to customize your chili potato soup based on what you have available.
You can use frozen or canned vegetables instead of fresh ones, add more spices if you like, or even swap out some of the meat options listed below.
Can Chili Potato Soup Be Made In Advance?
If you don’t have time to make this recipe or if you’re going to be away from home all day, there are ways you can prepare chili potato soup ahead of time.
You could freeze it so you’ll have ready-made chili potato soup when you get back.
You could also refrigerate it overnight until you’re ready to reheat it with some fresh water.
The best thing about freezing chili potato soup is that it won’t lose any quality while frozen.
There are other steps involved in making chili potato soup as well.
So, even though it’s possible to make chili potato soup ahead of time, we still recommend following these instructions closely.
What Type Of Chili Pepper Is Used In Chili Potato Soup?
The main ingredient in this recipe is red bell peppers.
You can use any kind of red pepper you like.
The key thing is that they should have some heat.
If your peppers are mild or sweet, then they won’t blend well with the other ingredients and will detract from the overall taste of the soup.
You want hot peppers for this recipe so you can get the kick from them without affecting your palate too much.
For instance, if you go with jalapeño peppers, you may find yourself adding more cayenne pepper than you would normally do when using regular bell peppers.
How many calories does chili potato soup contain?
Calories per serving depend on how much chili powder you add to the mix.
A cup of chili contains around 110 calories while two cups of chili contains about 230 calories.
To make up for these extra calories, you need to eat three servings instead of only two.
Do I need to adjust my diet to prepare chili potato soup?
No, you don’t need to change anything at all.
Chili potato soup doesn’t alter your usual eating habits.
All you do is increase the amount of carbs and protein you consume each day.
That means no restrictions whatsoever.
What Is The Best Way To Serve Chili Potato Soup?
The best way to serve chili potato soup depends on your preference for how you like your meals served up.
If you have lots of guests over or are looking to impress someone special, then serving this spicy recipe with fresh bread will be the most enjoyable option.
If you prefer something more simple, though, there are some ways you can make this recipe even easier to prepare.
For example, if you don’t want to spend time peeling all those potatoes, you could use frozen ones instead.
You could also skip making homemade stock by using vegetable broth instead.
Finally, if you’re not a fan of sour cream, you can leave it out altogether.
Regardless of what method you choose to cook and eat this tasty dish, don’t forget to let your guests know about the ingredients list!
How Many People Does Chili Potato Soup Serve?
You can make this recipe for 2 or 4 servings depending on how much you want to eat at once.
If you have more than two people in your household, then you will probably want to double or triple up on the ingredients so everyone gets their fair share.
What Are Some Other Dishes That Go Well With Chili Potato Soup?
The flavors in this dish pair perfectly with any number of foods.
You can add it to your chili for extra heat, or you could use it as an accompaniment to another vegetable-based dish like roasted vegetables, mashed sweet potatoes, or even pasta salad!
The possibilities are endless.
Spicy Black Beans
Black beans are loaded with fiber, protein, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium.
They also have less fat than most types of beans.
If you don’t eat black beans often enough, try adding them to your chili instead of ground beef or chicken.
Try serving these beans over rice or on top of tortillas.
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
If you want something savory to accompany your chili, consider roasting potatoes before adding them to the pot.
When they come out of the oven, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top for a little bit of extra kick.
Mushrooms
You can either saute mushrooms in butter or toss them in at the end of cooking so they get a nice crunchy texture.
Either way, mushrooms are high in antioxidants, which help fight off free radicals in your body.
Mushrooms contain more selenium than almost anything else, and selenium helps protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Green Peas
Green peas are low in calories but still packed with nutrients.
One cup of green peas contains about 15% of your daily value of thiamin (vitamin B1), 17% of your daily dose of niacin (vitamin B3), 16% of your daily intake of riboflavin (vitamin B2), 18% of your daily intake of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), 13% of your daily intake of folate, 11% of your daily intake of copper, 10% of your daily intake of phosphorus, 9% of your daily intake of magnesium, 8% of your daily intake of manganese, 7% of your daily intake of calcium, 6% of your daily intake of iron, 5% of your daily intake of potassium, 4% of your daily intake of sodium, 3% of your daily intake of zinc, 1% of your daily intake of iodine, and 0.4% of your daily intake of chromium.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower doesn’t taste very good raw, so we recommend steaming it first.
Cauliflower contains vitamins A and K, plus folate and potassium.
These vitamins contribute to skin health, bone growth, proper functioning of organs, heart function, and blood clotting.
What Are Some Tips For Making The Perfect Chili Potato Soup?
Here are five tips to help you create your own version of this classic dish.
Use fresh ingredients
Make sure you use fresh ingredients in order to get the best results.
When using canned vegetables, drain them before adding them to the soup so they don’t add extra saltiness or water content.
To save time, you could also buy frozen diced potatoes instead of chopping up a whole bunch of potatoes yourself.
Add cheese at the end of cooking
Adding cheese near the end of cooking will give it time to melt completely and blend well with the rest of the ingredients.
If you prefer an even cheesier experience, try stirring in shredded cheddar after removing the soup from heat.
Don’t overdo it on spices
While there are plenty of ways to spruce up any dish, too much of anything isn’t always a good thing.
Chili powder alone has enough flavor to work as a stand-in for all those seasonings you might be missing, but if you want to really kick things up a notch, consider using smoked paprika in addition to regular paprika.
Consider serving it warm or cold
The temperature you serve chili potato soup depends entirely upon how hungry you are when you eat it.
For instance, if you’re having guests over for dinner, then you should probably cook and chill the soup ahead of time (if possible).
On the other hand, if you’re eating it by yourself, then you may not mind waiting until later to enjoy it.
How Can I Make My Chili Potato Soup More Spicy?
If you want to add extra heat to your chili potato soup, there are two ways you can do this.
You can either use a hotter pepper or increase the amount of red pepper flakes in your recipe.
Use hot peppers instead of bell peppers
Hot peppers have a lot more capsaicin than regular bell peppers, which means they pack quite a punch.
If you don’t like too much heat, then using hot peppers will be better for you.
You can also try adding jalapeño peppers if you’d prefer a milder taste.
You could also combine different kinds of peppers together.
For example, you could mix sweet and hot peppers together before adding them to the pot.
Or, you could chop up fresh chilies and stir-fry them with onions to create an even spicier soup!
Add more red pepper flakes
Red pepper flakes give chili its signature color and flavor.
They come from dried red peppers, so you should always look out for these ingredients when shopping.
The exact measurement of red pepper flakes depends on what kind of chili you want to make, but 1/4 teaspoon is usually enough.
To make your chili potato soup more spicy, simply double the amount of red pepper flakes in your recipe.
You can adjust the seasoning after cooking by adding salt (or any other spices) as needed.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Making Chili Potato
The first thing to remember about this soup is that you will want to use fresh ingredients.
If you have frozen vegetables or canned beans, they won’t work in this recipe.
The second mistake you might make is not adding enough salt.
Chili powder contains very little sodium, so if you add too much, your soup ends up tasting bland.
One last note on spices.
You don’t need to go overboard with them.
Just a pinch of cayenne pepper goes a long way here.
That said, you do want to be careful not to overdo it.
Too many spices can take away from the overall taste of this dish.
To avoid this problem, start out by adding a few pinches at a time until you find your ideal level of heat.
Equipment
- Bowl
- A large pot
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes washed and peeled
- 4 ounces butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper ground
- 1/2 cup bacon crumbled to garnish
- 1/2 cup chives chopped to garnish
- 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese shredded to garnish
Instructions
- Potatoes should be cut into 3/8-inch cubes.
- In a bowl, combine the potato cubes with enough water to cover. Allow 5 minutes to soak.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the all-purpose flour after the butter has melted. Cook for 1 minute on medium heat. The mixture should smell like pie dough and become fragrant.
- Combine the chicken stock and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Stir the soup until it thickens.
- Drain and add the potatoes to the pot.
- Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste.
- Cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and shredded cheese if desired.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.