Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

My grandma Viola always said the best soups start with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. This Vegetable Beef Soup is my absolute favorite "Fridge Clean-Out" hero! It's the perfect flexible soup recipe for when you have half a bag of frozen peas, a lonely potato, and some carrots that need using. We throw it all in a pot with savory beef, and somehow, it transforms into a cohesive, hearty homemade vegetable soup that tastes like you planned it for days.

A hearty soup with melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked chunks of beef, potato and vegetables simmered in a flavorful broth is pure comfort. Packed with tender chunks of beef and fresh veggies, it creates a complete meal in one bowl. Cook potatoes and carrots in beef broth until tender along with beef stew meat for the ultimate old fashioned vegetable beef soup recipe experience.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients for Vegetable Beef Soup
• How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup
• My Top Tips for This Recipe
• Making This Soup with My Family
• Substitutions for Vegetable Beef Soup
• Variations for This Recipe
• Equipment Needed
• Storage Tips
• Adam's Tip for Vegetable Beef Soup
• FAQ about Vegetable Beef Soup
• Conclusion
• Related
• Pairing
• recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Complete meal in a bowl: This easy beef vegetable soup is loaded with protein and vegetables, making it a balanced, satisfying dinner.
• Classic comfort food: This grandma's vegetable beef soup style recipe delivers nostalgic, homestyle flavors that warm you from the inside out.
• Incredibly versatile: Whether you want vegetable beef soup with ground beef or traditional stew meat, this award winning vegetable beef soup recipe adapts beautifully.

Ingredients for Vegetable Beef Soup

The vegetable beef soup ingredients list includes everything you need for a hearty, satisfying meal. The beef stew meat provides protein and rich flavor, while sautéed onion, carrot & celery aromatics create the classic base. The low-sodium beef broth forms the foundation, enhanced with herb-infused savory broth (basil, oregano, thyme) for depth. Red potato chunks and frozen peas & corn complete this best homemade vegetable beef soup.

What You'll Need

For the Soup Base:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds beef stew meat (or chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Vegetables:

• 4 medium red potatoes, diced
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup diced zucchini (optional)

For Thickening (Optional):

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water

Why These Ingredients Matter

• Beef stew meat: Using quality stew meat (or chuck roast) creates those melt-in-your-mouth tender pieces that make this soup so satisfying.
• Classic aromatics: The sautéed onion, carrot & celery aromatics build the flavor foundation that makes this taste like grandma's vegetable beef soup.
• Worcestershire sauce: Adding Italian seasoning + Worcestershire depth creates layers of umami and complexity in the broth.

How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Season beef stew meat with salt and pepper.
3. Brown beef in batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
4. Add sautéed onion, carrot & celery aromatics to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Return beef to the pot.
7. Pour in low-sodium beef broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
8. Add Worcestershire sauce for Italian seasoning + Worcestershire depth.
9. Stir in Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves for herb-infused savory broth (basil, oregano, thyme).
10. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes until beef is tender.
11. Add red potato chunks and green beans, and cook potatoes and carrots in beef broth until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
12. Stir potatoes, corn, green beans, and peas into soup and simmer for 5 more minutes.
13. For a slightly thickened "gravy-like" broth, stir in cornstarch slurry and simmer for 2 minutes.
14. Remove bay leaves.
15. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Hint: For vegetable beef soup with ground beef, brown 1.5 pounds of ground beef instead of stew meat and reduce cooking time to 30 minutes total.

Making This Soup with My Family

Last Sunday, Adam helped me make this best ever easy vegetable beef soup for dinner. He was in charge of cutting the red potato chunks with his kid-safe knife. "Mom, I love all the colors! The carrots are orange, the beans are green, and the potatoes are brown!" he said excitedly. When it came time to add the vegetables, he carefully measured each ingredient.

When we sat down to eat, Adam took a big spoonful with lots of beef. "This is so good! I can taste all the different vegetables!" Grandma Viola tried hers and said, "A hearty soup with melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked chunks of beef, potato and vegetables simmered in this rich broth is absolutely perfect. This tastes just like grandma's vegetable beef soup from when I was a girl."

Substitutions for Vegetable Beef Soup

• Beef: Use ground beef instead of stew meat for a quicker cook time, similar to the best hamburger soup style.
• Vegetables: Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, including vegetable beef soup with veg all for convenience.
• Potatoes: Replace red potato chunks with sweet potatoes or add vegetable beef barley soup by including pearl barley.
• Broth: Use homemade beef broth vegetable soup base or store-bought low-sodium beef broth depending on your preference.

Variations for This Recipe

• Crockpot version: Make crockpot vegetable beef soup or beef vegetable soup crock pot style by adding all ingredients to slow cooker and cooking on low 7 to 8 hours.
• Instant Pot: Try instant pot vegetable beef soup by pressure cooking on high for 35 minutes with natural release.
• Pioneer Woman style: Make vegetable beef soup pioneer woman version by adding ranch seasoning and extra herbs.
• Campbell's copycat: Create vegetable beef soup campbell's style by using tomato soup as part of the liquid base.
• With hamburger: For vegetable beef soup with hamburger or burger vegetable soup, use ground beef and add a splash of ketchup for sweetness. Check out this slow cooker beef vegetable soup for more inspiration.

Equipment Needed

• Large Dutch oven or pot: Essential for browning the beef stew meat and simmering this homemade vegetable beef soup with room for all ingredients.
• Sharp knife: For cutting the red potato chunks and preparing the sautéed onion, carrot & celery aromatics.
• Wooden spoon: Perfect for stirring and scraping up the flavorful fond from browning the beef.
• Ladle: For serving with plenty of beef and vegetables in each bowl.

Storage Tips

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors improve as it sits, making it perfect easy homemade vegetable beef soup for meal prep.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. This meat vegetable soup freezes beautifully with all its hearty ingredients.
• Reheating: Warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add extra low-sodium beef broth if it thickens too much.

This recipe is perfect for old fashioned vegetable beef soup lovers and comfort food collections. The beef stew meat with red potato chunks makes it ideal for family dinners. It pairs beautifully with our chicken pot pie soup or lasagna soup when you want variety in your soup rotation.

FAQ about Vegetable Beef Soup

Conclusion

It feels so good to waste nothing and still eat like a king! I hope this "kitchen sink" soup becomes your new favorite way to turn those odds and ends into a pot of pure, bubbling gold. This Vegetable Beef Soup is the ultimate flexible recipe that transforms whatever vegetables you have into something spectacular with tender beef stew meat and flavorful broth.

The sautéed onion, carrot & celery aromatics create the foundation, while the herb-infused savory broth (basil, oregano, thyme) brings depth. Whether you make it stovetop, try crockpot vegetable beef soup, or use vegetable beef soup with ground beef, this old fashioned vegetable beef soup recipe always delivers. The best homemade vegetable beef soup is the one that helps you clean out your fridge! Try our chicken tortilla soup or lasagna soup for more comforting dinners. Enjoy!

Related

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Vegetable Beef Soup:

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