Vegetable Beef Soup

Tender chunks of beef cooked in a rich tomato broth with tons of fresh and frozen vegetables create a flavorful hearty soup recipe! This Vegetable Beef Soup recipe takes a bit of time to chop the vegetables and simmer on the stove, but it is outrageously satisfying and delicious.

Why This Recipe Works

Homemade soups are the ultimate comfort food, and easy dinner, and serve up everything you want in a meal in a bowl!

• A meal in every bite! Everything is cut or diced into small pieces so that each bite can hold a little bit of everything.
• Incredible flavor. Because the stew meat is seared, it adds so much great flavor. Combined with all of the mixed vegetables and rich broth, your tastebuds will rejoice!
• Easy to modify. This soup is loaded with vegetables and high-quality ingredients, however you can change it up to meet your needs. Read below to see substitution ideas.

Ingredients Needed

• Beef Broth – so much flavor! You can buy it pre-packaged or make your own beef bone broth.
• Beef stew meat – I recommend cutting it into smaller pieces. Olive oil is used to brown the meat.
• Onion, carrot, and celery are the base of every good soup. Garlic is also added. You can use fresh whole cloves, but I prefer to use frozen minced garlic because its quick and easy.
• Potatoes – Red potatoes are recommended, but Yukon Golds work well too.
• Canned tomatoes – I prefer to use whole-skinned tomatoes that I crush before they get added to the soup.
• Worcestershire sauce, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and not pictured bay leaf, salt, pepper – all used to enhance the flavor.
• Vegetables: I use even amounts of corn, peas, and green beans. Frozen vegetables work great!

How to Make Stovetop Vegetable Beef Soup

Sear the meat

First step is to sear the meat seasoned with salt and pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat. Once browned, the meat along with any browned bits get transferred to a separate bowl.

Cook fresh vegetables

In the same large stockpot, you’ll cook the onions, carrots, and celery. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release anything that may have stuck to the bottom. When the vegetables are soft, add the garlic.

Add additional ingredients and simmer

Add the beef back to the pot, along with the canned tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary. Reduce the temperature to medium heat and allow the beef vegetable soup to simmer for about a half hour.

Cook potatoes

Add the potatoes and let them cook for about 45 minutes so that they get nice and tender.

Add frozen vegetable

Finally, add the remaining ingredients which include the frozen vegetables and cook them until they are heated through. 

Recipe Tips for the Best Results

There are a few tips and tricks that will give you perfect results every time!

The best way to sear meat

• You must ensure the oil is hot before adding the meat.
• Arrange the meat in a single layer and sear in batches, if needed. There must be enough space for each piece to have contact with the pan.
• Do not stir the meat. Resist the urge!
• To avoid overcooking the meat, just give it a really good sear on one side. It will finish cooking in the soup.
• The best way to get a nice sear is to use a high-quality cast iron Dutch oven!
• I find one pound is the perfect amount of beef stew meat for this recipe, but you can add more if you want it meatier.

Cut down on prep time

• You can pulse the vegetables in the food processor instead of chopping them by hand.
• Set the frozen vegetables out when you start cooking the soup so that they are thawed by the time you add them to the vegetable beef soup. This way they will heat through faster.

Ingredient Variations

Alternate cuts of beef

• Ground Beef – Simply brown the ground meat as you would the stew meat and follow the same instructions.
• Chuck Roast, Pot Roast, or Chuck Shoulder – If you’re looking to enjoy a hearty bowl of vegetable beef soup with chunks of tender beef and don’t have any stew meat, you can use a chuck roast. Some may consider this the best cut of meat for any soup or stew recipe because of the texture and fat content. It does need to be cooked in liquid for a long time, however, to fall apart.

Tomatoes

• Diced tomatoes – You can use a can of diced tomatoes, but I prefer the whole peeled tomatoes because I don’t like the skin in the soup.
• Fresh tomatoes – for best results, remove skin and seeds prior to chopping.
• Tomato Sauce or Tomato Juice – if you are out of fresh or canned tomatoes.

Herbs and Seasonings

Homemade soups are easy to customize to your liking, and one of the best ways to add extra flavor is by changing the spices you add. For additional flavor, you can consider adding additional ingredients like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, additional bay leaves, black pepper, more fresh herbs like fresh parsley, or even a splash of red wine!

Serving, Storage, and Reheating

• Serve this amazing meal with a hot loaf of bread or sliced garlic bread. YUM!
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container. If refrigerated, use within 3-5 days. This is an easy soup to freeze to enjoy any time during the winter months. Simply thaw in the fridge.
• You can either reheat the soup in one minute increments on low power in the microwave or bring to a gentle simmer on the stove.

This recipe was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!