Vegetable Beef Soup

My hearty, old-fashioned vegetable beef soup recipe has a rich broth that’s loaded with chunks of beef and savory veggies! It’s the perfect hearty soup to chase away cold weather chills!

As the nights get cooler, your dinners get warmer, trading cold salads for warm beef soup recipes like beef barley soup, classic beef stew, old-fashioned beef noodle soup, or my family-pleasing hamburger soup recipe.

But sometimes, you want a classic — a thick, delicious blend of beef, veggies, and tomato with some tasty toppers like crackers and fresh herbs. That’s my vegetable beef soup!

Get ready for comfort food at its most classic. Let’s make this soup!

What I Love About  This Recipe

• Crowd-pleasing and versatile
• Warms your heart and soul
• Veggies to the max!
• Comfort food favorite

Vegetable Beef Soup Ingredients

• Meat – I like to use flank steak when I make this recipe. Full of flavor, it cooks up nice and tender — perfect for soup! While beef chuck does seem like a likely choice for soup (and it is a cut of meat I use often in many recipes), flank steak cooks faster and has all the tender, meaty flavor in a shorter amount of time.
• Ground Beef – If you happen to have ground beef, you can use it instead of flank steak! Follow the recipe instructions, but substitute two pounds of ground beef for the cubed flank steak. Remember that the flank steak is leaner, so you’ll have some extra fat if you use ground beef. I suggest you drain off the fat, then proceed with the recipe.
• Potatoes – Not all potatoes are created equal! Getting the perfect soup potato all depends on what textures you want. Russets add extra starchiness to the broth, thickening it and making it heartier.
  • Yukon Gold potatoes have a delicious, buttery flavor and hold their shape well through the cooking process.
  • Red potatoes hold up, like the Yukon Gold, but aren’t quite as rich. There are so many options!
  • My dad absolutely LOVES this recipe! He insists that the potatoes in the recipe get cubed very small—that’s the way he likes them! I absolutely agree with him on this point. When I dig into a bowlful of hot, hearty soup, I want to get a mix of things on my spoon. All this to say that I usually cut my potatoes fairly small—no bigger than 1/2 inch cubes. But if you’re a potato lover, you might want chunks a little bigger than that. I won’t judge! ♥
• Aromatics: As with most soup recipes, you can’t forget to sauté the aromatic vegetables before adding them to the soup when you make up this recipe.
  • When the vegetables in this soup are raw, they contain compounds that are pungent and sulfurous—not what you want in your soup. But when those same vegetables are heated, the compounds actually change in flavor profile, becoming less harsh and less intense… actually evolving into something sweet and, in my ever so humble opinion, wonderful.
  • Yes, the mushrooms and onions need to be cooked in two separate batches. Why? you ask. Well, simply because if you try to brown them at the same time, the pan will be overcrowded and the veggies will steam rather than brown. You will not create any fond if you steam your veggies.
• Vegetables – This recipe is super versatile when it comes to veggies. You can change or adapt the veggies listed to anything you like or prefer. You can add cabbage, corn, and peas.
• Beef Broth and Soy Sauce – This recipe calls for low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce. The amount of salt called for in the ingredients list is used to make up for the low-sodium broth and soy sauce. So if you end up using products that aren’t low in sodium, make sure you reduce the amount of salt you use.
• Better than Bouillon – I typically use the regular version of this product, not the low-sodium version.

Tips

• Deglaze: For this soup recipe, it’s important to brown the onions until they are well browned—look for small dark bits (dark brown not black) forming on the bottom of the pan. Those bits are what the French call fond, and they help to create a deep, fantastic flavor in your finished soup.
  • That depth of flavor is intensified when the beef is browned in the same skillet. That creates another layer of fond which is added to the soup when the pan is deglazed.

Can You Make With Ground Beef Instead?

Absolutely. Just skip the flank steak and use ground beef. For the best flavor I would opt for 80/20 ground beef. Your simmer time won’t need to be as long.

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing bowls
• Dutch oven: I love my nonstick pans just as much as the next person—but here’s a little secret: when I’m browning something and intending to deglaze the pan I never use a nonstick pan. Those little brown bits that I work so hard to achieve do not seem to be created with a nonstick pan. So I go ahead and use a regular large pot with this soup.
• A good stirring spoon

What To Serve With Vegetable Beef Soup

I love to serve some homemade bread or biscuits to dip into this thick, rich, wonderful broth. My garlic bread with fresh herbs, no-knead bread, beer bread, Bisquick biscuits, cat head biscuits, or crescent rolls are all wonderful dipping vehicles!

How To Make Beef Vegetable Soup In The Crockpot:

1. Brown the mushrooms in a skillet until they’re soft. Use a slotted spoon and transfer them right over to the slow cooker.
2. Brown the onions in the same skillet, stirring frequently until the onions are browning and dark pieces are forming on the bottom of the pan, about 8-12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and transfer them to the slow cooker.
3. Brown all of your marinated steak in a skillet. I do it in two batches, so the skillet doesn’t get overcrowded, and the steak browns properly. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the browned steak to the slow cooker.
4. Add tomato paste and garlic and to skillet and cook stirring constantly about 30 seconds. Add the red wine, maintaining the heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to loosen up the brown bits. Continue to cook until the liquid becomes syrupy, about 1-2 minutes. Pour into a slow cooker.
5. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, beef broth, Better than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, canned tomatoes with their juice, potatoes, carrots, celery, and thawed and drained green beans.  Cook soup for 3-4 hours with your crockpot on “high.” Or, on low for 6-8 hours.

How To Make Vegetable Beef Soup

1. Marinade the beef in soy sauce.
2. Saute the mushroom. Set aside.
3. Saute onions. Set aside.
4. Brown the beef in batches. Set aside.
5. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook for about 30 seconds.
6. Add red wine, and cook until syrupy.
7. Add the rest of the ingredients. Boil.
8. Remove bay leaves. Serve.

***See full instructions below.

Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Once cooked, you can store this old fashioned vegetable beef soup in the fridge for up to four days.
• Can You Freeze This? Yes! You can make a big batch of vegetable beef soup and freeze it for a meal later. This soup will freeze for up to six months.
• Make-Ahead Tips: This beef vegetable soup tastes even better (is that possible?) if you make it a day or two ahead of serving. All those wonderful flavors marry and mix, and the broth of the soup thickens and tastes even richer.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

More Delicious Beefy Soup Recipes

• Cheeseburger Soup
• Taco Soup
• Beef And Tomato Macaroni Soup
• Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Busy Day Soup
• Goulash Soup

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Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Vegetable Beef Soup

Hearty veggies, tender beef, & a decadently savory broth all combine to give you the classic dinner favorite: Vegetable Beef Soup!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds flank steak trimmed and cut Into 1/2-inch cubed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
• ▢ 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• ▢ 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1/2 cup red wine
• ▢ 48 ounces low sodium beef broth
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon~beef flavor
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, including juice
• ▢ 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• ▢ 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
• ▢ 2 celery stalks, cut into small cubes
• ▢ 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed and well-drained
• ▢ salt
• ▢ black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the beef (2 pounds) and soy sauce (2 tablespoons); set aside and marinate for 15 minutes.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms (16 ounces) and saute, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are soft. Remove to a bowl and set aside. 
• In the same pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and the onions (2 cups) and brown, stirring frequently until the onions are browning and dark pieces are forming on the bottom of the pan, about 8-12 minutes. Remove the cooked onions to the bowl of mushrooms and set aside.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add half the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until liquid evaporates and the beef begins to brown, about 6-10 minutes. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining meat the same way. 
• Return the first batch of browned meat back to the pan with the second batch. 
• Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, tomato paste (2 tablespoons), and garlic (6 cloves) and cook stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. 
• Add the red wine (1/2 cup), maintain the heat, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to loosen up the brown bits. Continue to cook until the liquid becomes syrupy, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients along with the cooked mushroom/onion mixture and bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat and cook on low, covered, until the vegetables and meat are tender 40-50 minutes. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning and serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Beef Goulash (One Pot Comfort Food!)
• 
  Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• 
  Guinness Beef Stew
• 
  Instant Pot Beef Stew

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Notes

1. You can substitute 2 pounds of ground beef instead of cubed flank steak. I recommend draining off excess fat if you're using ground beef.
2. Opt for regular pans instead of non-stick pans to create the brown bits that are intended for deglazing.
3. Don't forget to sauté the aromatic vegetables before adding them to the soup.
4. Deglaze: For this soup recipe, it’s important to brown the onions until they are well browned—look for small dark bits (dark brown not black) forming on the bottom of the pan. Those bits are what the French call fond, and they help to create a deep, fantastic flavor in your finished soup. That depth of flavor is intensified when the beef is browned in the same skillet. That creates another layer of fond which is added to the soup when the pan is deglazed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1103mg | Potassium: 2297mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 7075IU | Vitamin C: 15.9mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4.3mg

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