There’s nothing like a warm bowl of vegetable beef soup to get you through a dreary, blustery day. This soup has everything you could ask for: lots of chunks of beef and plenty of veggies cooking in a flavorful broth. It smells amazing. I make it all the time when the weather is bad and I need to get a nutritious meal on the table for my family.
The great thing about this vegetable beef soup recipe is how easy it is to customize based on what vegetables you already have in your fridge. It takes very little work before you let it simmer away on the stove top. You’ll have the most amazing comfort food. It’s filling but not too heavy or fatty. Plus, there will be leftovers for several days! Just reheat and serve with some bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a simple dinner that’s easy to prepare and clean up, this vegetable beef soup is the perfect choice. All of the ingredients cook in the same pot on the stove, making for easy cleanup. It also cooks for a long time on low heat, which results in tender beef and vegetables that don’t get too mushy.
This soup is a great way to use up any vegetables in your fridge, and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe if you want to have some extras for lunch later in the week. It’s also great for freezing. I love the flavor of homemade vegetable beef soup. It reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking.
Ingredients You Need
You’ll need beef chuck, carrots, celery, yellow onion, potatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, green beans, and frozen peas for this recipe.
Beef Chuck Roast
Beef chuck roast is the best choice for this soup recipe because the fat will melt while simmering. Cut the chuck roast into cubes, and brown the edges on each side. Use stew meat instead of beef chuck roast if that’s what you have on hand, although it may take longer to cook until tender.
Potatoes
Potatoes give the soup substance and add thickness to the broth as it thickens. For this soup I like to use Yukon gold potatoes because they maintain their shape, but are still nice and creamy and buttery. If you need to cut down on carbs or just prefer a different flavor, try chopping turnips or parsnips instead. The flavor and texture are really similar and you won’t miss the potatoes.
Beef Broth
A good beef broth is essential for this soup. It’s the base and helps tie all the ingredients together. Make sure to use low-sodium beef broth, so you can control how much salt is added to the soup later. If you don’t have beef broth on hand, you can use chicken or vegetable broth. Just add some Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to the soup to give it the extra savoriness of the beef broth.
How to Make It
Start by taking your favorite large soup pot or dutch oven and heating it up.
Sear the Beef
Add some olive oil to the pot and let it heat up over medium-high heat. Add the cubed beef and let it sear, browning on all sides. Don’t stir it too much or you’ll lose the color.
Sauté the Aromatics
Once the meat is browned, toss in your diced onions, carrots, and celery right into the same pot. Stir and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft.
Simmer the Broth
Add the beef broth and tomatoes to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and cover. Let the soup simmer for about an hour. This will ensure the beef is tender.
Add the Veggies
Once the beef is cooked, add the chopped potatoes and green beans. Cover and let simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked but still holding their shape.
Finish and Serve
Stir in the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.
Tips for Success
The most important trick for this recipe is to make sure you don’t skip browning the beef before you add the liquids, as this is where all the deep, savory flavor develops. If you’re short on space, brown the beef in batches. If you add it all at once, it will steam instead of brown. For extra time saving, you can dice all the veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
When the carrots, celery and onions are already cut up and waiting to be cooked, this soup seems so easy to make. If you’d like a thicker, more stew-like soup, lightly mash a couple of the cooked potatoes against the side of the pot while cooking. The starchy potatoes will melt into the broth creating a beautiful thickening without adding any flour.
Storage & Reheating
- Store: Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: This soup freezes well; place into freezer bags and lay flat to freeze. Will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Place thawed soup into a pot on the stove and heat over medium heat until simmering.
What to Serve with It
- A thick slice of warm, crusty sourdough bread.
- A refreshing side salad with a light lemon vinaigrette.
- Garlic knots fresh from the oven.
- A classic grilled cheese sandwich.
Homestyle Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz can, undrained
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the cubed beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the diced onion, carrots and celery, cook until the vegetables start to soften.
- Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes, bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, simmer for 1 hour until the beef is almost tender.
- Add the potatoes and green beans, cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen peas during the final 5 minutes of cooking.
- Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes! Simply sear the beef and onions on the stove, then add all ingredients except the peas to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Add the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Can I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh?
Yes, using frozen vegetables is an easy alternative. Add the frozen vegetables to the soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking time so they don’t get too soft.
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