This Conchitas con Carne is a take on traditional Mexican ground beef and shell pasta, made with some extra veggies! It’s gluten-free and can be modified to be AIP.

Conchitas con carne soup in a large white dutch oven, topped with avocado and cilantro.

Quick Overview

  • Total time: 45 min
  • Servings: 4
  • Calories: 458 cal
  • Protein per serving: 32g
  • Difficulty: Easy/Medium
  • Diet types: Gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free optional
  • Flavor notes: Hearty, rich, and savory with extra veggies!

What is Conchitas Con Carne?

If you’ve ever had fideo, it’s similar to this recipe! Conchitas con Carne is a Mexican hamburger-and-shell pasta soup. Conchitas means little shells, which are the star of the show! The soup is made with a tomato broth, ground beef, shell pasta, and vegetables. I asked my best friend (who is more of an expert on this dish than I am), and she told me all about how she makes it, which was the inspiration for my version!

This version is inspired by the traditional Conchitas con Carne, but features some extra veggies, gluten-free pasta, and it also has the option to be made nightshade-free!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • One pot win! Conchitas con carne is a one-pot wonder with protein, veggies, pasta, and tons of flavor all in one dish.
  • Nourishment & comfort all in one. If you love a cozy chili like my nightshade-free veggie chili, l this recipe is super similar. This soup is the perfect balance between comfort and nourishment, with veggies and comforting pasta, all in one!
  • Budget-friendly. Ground beef is one of my favorite protein options for a budget-friendly dish, as it tends to be cheaper than steak, or certain cuts of chicken!

Recipe Ingredients

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Ingredients including zucchini, lime juice, and avocado oil.
  • Garlic, Yellow Onion, Roma Tomatoes, Water and Chicken Broth. These ingredients make the delicious tomato broth!
  • Avocado Oil.
  • Pasta. I like these gluten-free shell pasta, but you can sub these cassava elbows for AIP.
  • Celery, Carrot, and Yellow Onion.
  • Ground Beef.
  • Cumin, Oregano, Salt, and Black Pepper.
  • Zucchini. Traditionally, this recipe uses white potatoes, which, of course, can still be used in this recipe, but I opted for zucchini for a nightshade-free version, and some extra green veggies.
  • Lime, Avocado, and Cilantro. Don’t skip out on the toppings! I feel like the avocado, lime, and cilantro really add a lot of freshness to the recipe.

Substituions & Modifications

  • White potato or sweet potato. You can easily swap the zucchini for a white potato (which is more traditional) or a sweet potato. Just be sure to modify the cook time as needed.
  • Tomato-free sauce. If you’re nightshade-free or trying to avoid tomatoes, I’ve also tested this recipe with tomato-free sauce. You can use my homemade nightshade-free marinara or my brand, Daylight Veggie Pasta sauce.
  • Ground turkey. This recipe is most definitely best with ground beef, but ground turkey will also work.

How to make Conchitas Con Carne

Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.

Tomato broth in a glass container.

Step one. Make the broth. To make the broth, combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until fully combined.

Pasta shells being toasted in a large dutch oven pot.

Step two. Toast the pasta. Using a dutch oven, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Fry the pasta for a few minutes or until crispy.

Onion, celery and diced onion cooking in a white dutch oven

Step three. Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot and cook until lightly tender.

Ground beef and veggies cooking in a large dutch oven.

Step four. Add the ground beef to the pot and season. Crumble the ground beef until browned and discard some of the excess fat.

Conchitas con carne fully cooked in a white dutch oven.

Step five. Pour the broth into the pot along with the pasta and zucchini. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cook until the pasta is tender.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • Don’t skip out on the toppings. I feel like the avocado, lime and cilantro really add a lot of freshness to the recipe. My husband also likes to add sour cream to it.
  • Don’t skip toasting the pasta either! Toasting the pasta is key to adding the nutty depth of flavor that’s traditional to the recipe.

Recipe FAQS

Conchitas con carne soup in a large white dutch oven, topped with avocado and cilantro, and avocado on the side.
What’s the point of toasting pasta before boiling it?

Toasting pasta is a traditional method for recipes like fideo. It adds a nutty flavor, enhances the color, and keeps the pasta from getting mushy in the soup.

Can you use a different pasta instead of shell pasta for conchitas?

Conchitas = little shells, so I highly recommend sticking to shell pasta if possible, but you can also use elbow pasta!

Can you make this recipe vegetarian? Or with a different meat than ground beef?

You can omit the meat if desired and use more veggies, or you can use ground turkey.

More Soup Recipes to Try…

If you tried this Conchitas Con Carne or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Conchitas con carne soup in a large white dutch oven, topped with avocado and cilantro.
5 from 2 reviews

Conchitas Con Carne (Mexican Beef & Shells Soup)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Author: Michelle
This Conchitas con Carne is a take on traditional Mexican ground beef and shell pasta, made with some extra veggies!
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Ingredients
 

For the tomato broth

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 lb Roma tomatoes, chopped (see notes for AIP)
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper

For the soup

  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 cups gluten free shell pasta, sub elbow pasta
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • ¾ yellow onion, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
  • Juice of one lime
  • Avocado, sliced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Instructions
 

  • To make the broth, combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until fully combined. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
  • Using a dutch oven, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the shell pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until crispy. Set aside.
  • Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly tender.
  • Add the ground beef to the pot and season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Crumble the ground beef until browned and discard some of the excess fat.
  • Pour the broth into the pot along with the pasta and zucchini. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cover the pot, tilting the lid, for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
  • Serve topped with lime juice, avocado and cilantro.

Notes

To make this recipe AIP: Use cassava elbows instead of GF shells (and skip crisping the pasta). Use 1 cup of nightshade-free marinara sauce instead of tomatoes. Omit the black pepper and cumin.
 
Serving: 1g, Calories: 458kcal, Carbohydrates: 46.5g, Protein: 32.1g, Fat: 17.7g, Fiber: 8.1g
All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.
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photos by modern food stories