Keto Instant Pot Coney Dog Soup

First off, I apologize for how awful this recipe looks. It’s damn near impossible to photograph. But because I really wanted to share this recipe, I just gave up trying to make it look presentable and took a quick snapshot of it directly from my lunch container. I’m sure if I took the time to stage it properly, I might have been able to improve it slightly, but the weather was gorgeous on Sunday and my neighbor invited us over to his pool, and well, priorities.

I should warn you that this soup’s flavor is based on a Cincinnati chili, not the traditional coney sauce, although they’re fairly close. For those of you who have never heard of Cincinnati chili, the first thing I should probably tell you is that it bears only the slightest resemblance to any sort of chili you might be used to. It’s more of a meat sauce than anything else. They serve it over spaghetti, usually, or on hot dogs. If you put cheddar cheese on top, it’s called a 3-way. Add beans or onions, it’s a 4-way. Add all of the above, and it’s a 5-way. Since we don’t eat beans, we’re having this soup as a 4-way with a cheese and onion garnish.

Start off by putting your Instant Pot on the Saute setting and adding 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Finely mince half an onion, and chop a package of 8 hot dogs into bite-sized chunks. I used Nathan’s hot dogs for this, because they’re what’s used in the classic Coney dog, and also they’re the only hot dogs my kids will eat, so they’re all I keep around. You might be able to find a lower-carb dog, and feel free to use those if you do. The Nathan’s have 1 gram of carbs per dog. Put the dogs and onions into the pot and saute until the onions turn translucent.

While that’s cooking, put together your spice blend. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon and a half of ground cumin, a rounded teaspoon of oregano, a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of ground allspice, and a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves. Finally, stir in the “secret ingredient”, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. The brand I linked to, Guittard, is a very good low-carb variety, with only 1 gram of net carbs per tablespoon. Don’t put any salt and pepper in this, because you’ll want to adjust for that later. Some hot dog varieties are saltier than others, so you’ll want to taste it and season once it’s cooked.

When the onions are soft and translucent, add a tablespoon of minced garlic and saute for about a minute, then add the seasoning and toss it around to toast it for a minute or two. After that, pour in a can of tomato sauce and 4 cups of beef broth. I love these resealable containers, because if you’re making a recipe that calls for a smaller amount, you can just pop the cap back on and store it in the fridge for later. For this recipe, though, you’ll use a whole one. Stir until the spices aren’t all clumped up anymore, then bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, crumble in a pound and a half of 85/15 ground beef. That’s right, you don’t cook it first. It ends up with a softer texture and smaller pieces if you put it in directly. Stir it constantly to break up the chunks, and once there are no big chunks of beef left, put the lid on and switch to the Soup setting on your Instant Pot. If you’re using a different brand that doesn’t have a soup setting, set yours for 30 minutes. Once it’s done, do a manual release, then remove the lid once you can safely do so. Turn it to saute and stir in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar until it’s melted. This should thicken the soup a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a garnish of chopped onion, cheddar cheese, and if you’d like, about a teaspoon of mustard. Yellow is fine, but I really like to use the classic Stadium Mustard if I have it. My macros for this recipe don’t count garnishes, so make sure you count yours separately if you’re tracking.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.

Please follow and like us: