Lentil Soup with Ground Beef is a tasty soup that’s made with brown rice or cauliflower rice and it’s easy enough to make for a work-night dinner! If you prefer an even lower-carb soup, you can make this soup with cauliflower rice or check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef Cauliflower Soup for a low-carb soup with similar flavors.

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I first made this Lentil Soup with Ground Beef years ago on a day I was too sick to go the store, and I don’t think there’s anything that tastes as good or as comforting as soup when it’s cold outside. Then recently on a day that was soup weather, I made this soup, took some better photos, and enjoyed it that night for dinner. I have a few containers in the freezer now for those snowy days I’m sure are still going to come. I did add some balsamic vinegar to the finished soup this time, and I loved the way it perked up the flavor so I’m updating the recipe to add that.

A lot of the good flavor here comes from the homemade beef stock and homemade chicken stock I always try to have in the freezer, but I think even if you had to use canned beef broth and chicken broth this would still taste pretty good.  Use the low salt version if you used canned broth, and don’t be in too much of a hurry and shorten the simmering time, because that’s another step that builds in flavor. This soup uses the kind of ingredients many people always have in the house, so it might become one of your favorites. 

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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

How can you make a soup that’s lower in carbs?

You might be surprised if you check the nutritional information because this soup is relatively low in net carbs. But if a soup with both lentils and brown rice seems too high in carbs for you, just replace the brown rice with about 1 1/2 cups frozen cauliflower rice. Or check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef Cauliflower Soup for a similar soup that’s low in carbs and made in the Instant Pot.

More Lentil Soups To Try

Lentil and Sausage Soup with Sweet Potatoes 
Spicy Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew 
Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup

How to make Lentil Soup with Ground Beef:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil and cook the ground beef until it’s nicely browned.
2. Move ground beef to soup pot.
3. Heat a tiny bit more olive oil and cook the onions and celery until they’re starting to soften.
4. Then add the garlic, dried thyme, ground cumin, and dried parsley and saute a couple of minutes more.
5. Add the vegetables to the soup pot with the ground beef and rinse out the frying pan with 2 cups water and add to the soup. 
6. Add beef stock or broth, chicken stock or broth, lentils and chopped carrots and let the soup cook at a very low simmer for about 60 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
7. When the lentils are tender, add a bit more water if needed and then add the rice (or cauliflower rice) and cook 30-40 minutes more, or until the rice is done.
8. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, stir in balsamic vinegar if desired, and serve hot.

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 tsp. olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 T minced garlic or garlic puree (or less if you don’t like garlic as much as I do)
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cups homemade beef stock (see notes)
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock (see notes)
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 2/3 cup brown lentils
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup brown rice (see notes)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in heavy frying pan, add ground beef and cook until meat is well browned, using a turner to break up into small pieces.
2. Remove meat to heavy soup pot.
3. Add another tsp. olive oil to frying pan and add onions and celery and cook 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are starting to soften.
4. Add garlic, dried thyme, ground cumin, and dried parsley and saute 1-2 minutes more.
5. Add vegetables to soup pot with meat, and rinse out frying pan with the 2 cups of water and add to soup pot.
6. Add beef stock, chicken stock, lentils, and chopped carrots to pot and cook at a very low simmer about 60 minutes, or until lentils are quite soft.
7. Taste soup and decide whether to add a small amount of water. (There should be quite a bit of liquid, and the broth should be flavorful but not too strong tasting. If there isn’t very much liquid or broth seems too strong add more water at this point.)
8. Add brown rice and continue to simmer soup 30-40 more minutes, or until rice is done but still a bit chewy.
9. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper (I did not add salt.)
10. Stir in balsamic vinegar if desired.   Serve hot.

Notes

If you don’t have homemade stock, use 2 cans beef broth and one can chicken broth, low sodium recommended. I used Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice (affiliate link), which I really like.

This soup freezes well. You may need to add more liquid when the soup is reheated, because some will be absorbed by the rice.

Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 304Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1095mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3.2gSugar: 3.2gProtein: 26g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If you’re a South Beach Dieter, be sure to use low fat ground beef, and the use of carrots would make this Lentil Soup with Ground Beef limited to phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. This soup is surprisingly low in net carbs, but use cauliflower rice instead of brown rice if you prefer, or check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef Cauliflower Soup for a low-carb soup with similar flavors.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more tasty recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
This soup was originally posted in 2007. The recipe was last updated in 2021 with the option to use cauliflower rice.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone in short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

• Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

• Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

• Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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