This hearty, flavor-packed Vegetable Beef Soup is made with pieces of lean beef, slowly cooked to fall-apart perfection. Chunks of vegetables and potatoes make this healthy soup a wonderfully comforting dinner on a cold day.
This soup pairs perfectly with some crusty Dutch oven bread to mop up the broth!
Easy Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
A steaming cup of vegetable beef soup on a cold day warms me up just thinking about it! – This homemade beef soup is so much better than anything you can find in a can. It’s loaded with lean stew meat, vegetables like corn and green beans, and potatoes in a perfectly seasoned broth.
Everything is slowly simmered on the stove for about 2 hours, which results in super tender beef that almost melts in your mouth. And don’t worry – there’s no need to stand at the stove for 2 hours. The prep time on this recipe is just 20 minutes.
Ingredients Need
You’ll need stew meat, veggies, beef broth, and just a handful of other ingredients for this recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Lean beef stew meat – See notes below.
- Canola oil – For searing the beef.
- Butter – To sauté the vegetables.
- Vegetables – This soup is loaded with onion, celery, and baby carrots, along with frozen corn and fresh green beans.
- Garlic – For aromatics and flavor.
- Dry red wine – Helps to tenderize the beef and add more flavor.
- Beef broth – Use low sodium broth to control the level of saltiness.
- Potatoes – Red potatoes are my recommendation for this soup.
- Seasonings – Bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper season the soup.
- Kitchen Bouquet (optional) – Using Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master will add a deep, rich depth of flavor to the soup, but is totally optional.
- Dry brown gravy mix – Optional but will help thicken the soup before serving.
What Cut of Beef Is Best For Soup?
For this soup, I like to grab the packages of pre-cut lean beef stew meat at the store. However, if you can’t find them, you can use chuck roast instead. Just cut into 1-inch cubes and trim away excess fat before browning. Chuck roast will make the soup a bit more fatty, so it may need to be skimmed before serving.
How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup
This easy beef soup requires just 20 minutes of prep time.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Brown the beef. Dry the beef with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 1/3 of the meat at a time in the canola oil, leaving it undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side to allow it to brown, flip and cook briefly. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the veggies. Remove excess oil from the pot. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in butter until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 20 seconds.
- Pour in the wine and broth. Use the red wine to deglaze the pan, then add the seared beef back in along with the Kitchen Bouquet, beef broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer for an 1 & 1/2 hours.
- Add the potatoes. Once beef is fall-apart tender, add potatoes and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add the other veggies. Add in the corn and green beans. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Serve. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve and enjoy! (See note below to make the soup thicker.)
How To Thicken Vegetable Beef Soup
Can I Make This In A Slow Cooker?
Yup! If you prefer to come home to dinner ready and waiting, you can make slow cooker vegetable beef soup. Just brown the beef in a large pan or dutch oven as directed and deglaze with the wine. Add all of the ingredients, except for the butter, corn, and beans, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Add corn and beans, and then cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when making this soup, plus a few variations.
- Add more veggies. Try adding other veggies that you like, such as peas, mushrooms, or fresh spinach.
- You can use frozen diced potatoes in place of fresh potatoes. They will cook much faster, so be sure to add them in once the beef is nice and tender.
- Cook the soup in the oven. If you have a Dutch oven, you can place it in the oven at 350F with a tight-fitting lid for 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours instead of simmering it on the stove.
- Cook the beef in batches. To ensure the beef browns completely, be sure to leave around 1-inch between each piece when cooking it.
Serving Suggestions
This soup pairs perfectly with some crusty day-old bread or Dutch oven bread. It’s the perfect thing to soak up every last bit of broth. Cheddar Bay biscuits are another tasty option.
Though this soup is already packed with veggies, I love a good soup and salad combo. If you do too, try making this simple side salad.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Leftover vegetable beef soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- Can I Freeze Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup? Yes, you can definitely freeze this soup. I recommend doing so before thickening it. Just allow it to cool, transfer it to freezer-safe containers, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat according to the directions above.
More Easy Soup Recipes with Beef:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 pounds pre-cut lean beef stew meat
- salt and pepper
- Canola oil
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion , diced
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1 cup baby carrots , roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master (optional, but recommended)
- 32 ounces low sodium beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme , or 1 fresh sprig
- 4 medium red potatoes , cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup fresh green beans , 1-inch chopped pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons dry brown gravy mix (optional for a thicker soup)
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium high heat. Pat meat very dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pot with canola oil. Place about a third of the beef in the pot, leaving at least 1-inch space between each piece (if you crowd the pan, the pieces will not brown.) Leave the beef undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, flip and brown the other sides briefly. Repeat with remaining beef, in batches, adding more oil if needed. Transfer to a plate.
- Blot any excess oil out of pot with paper towels. Reduce heat to medium, add the butter, onion, celery and carrots, sauté until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic and tomato paste, cook 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze pan with the red wine, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the seared beef back to the pot along with the Kitchen Bouquet, beef broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a very gentle bubble, place lid on pot, reduce heat to low and cook until beef is tender, about 1 & 1/2 hours. (Alternately, cover Dutch oven with tight fitting lid and place in a 350F oven for 1.5-2 hours.)
- Once beef is fall-apart tender, add potatoes and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add in corn and green beans, cook an additional 3-5 minutes until green beans are tender. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs if you used fresh thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.To make a thicker soup: Dissolve the gravy mix with a few tablespoons of cold water, stir into the soup while boiling, it will thicken very quickly.
It was delicious!