Vegetable Beef Soup is a big, cozy pot of browned beef stew meat simmered in beef broth and diced tomatoes with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, green beans, corn and peas, seasoned with basil, oregano and thyme. The vegetables go in stages, so the beef gets tender and nothing turns to mush. It takes about 100 minutes and serves 8.
How to make it: Brown the beef in two batches. Soften the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, then add the broth, tomatoes, beef and herbs and simmer covered 30 minutes. Add the potatoes for 20 minutes, the green beans for 15 more, and the corn and peas for the last 5. Finish with fresh parsley.
What Are the Key Ingredients in Vegetable Beef Soup?
Cubed beef stew meat, beef broth and canned diced tomatoes make the base. The vegetables are onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, green beans, corn and peas, and the seasoning is dried basil, oregano and thyme with salt, pepper and fresh parsley at the end.
Why You’ll Love It
- Tender beef: browned first, then simmered before the potatoes go in.
- Vegetables that keep their shape: each one goes in at the right time.
- A full meal in a bowl: beef, potatoes and five kinds of vegetables.
- Makes a big pot: 8 servings, with leftovers for later.
Ingredient Notes
Beef stew meat: One and a half pounds. Beef chuck roast cut into bite-size pieces works too.
Aromatics: About 1 large yellow onion (1 3/4 cups chopped), 3 medium carrots (1 1/4 cups), about 3 medium celery (1 cup) and 4 cloves of garlic (1 1/2 tablespoons minced).
Broth and tomatoes: Eight cups of low-sodium beef broth (chicken broth works) and 2 cans (14 ounces each) of diced tomatoes.
Dried herbs: One and a half teaspoons of basil, 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.
Potatoes: One pound of red or yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
Green vegetables: One and a half cups of chopped green beans (about 5 ounces), 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn and 1 cup of frozen peas.
Parsley: A third of a cup, chopped, stirred in at the end.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large)
- 1 1/4 cups peeled, chopped carrots (about 3 medium)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound red or yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups chopped green beans (about 5 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup
1. Brown the first half of the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season it with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and brown it about 4 minutes, turning halfway through. Move it to a plate.
2. Brown the second half. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pot and brown the remaining beef the same way. Move it to the plate.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the last 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
4. Simmer the beef. Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Add the browned beef, basil, oregano and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. Add the potatoes. Add the potatoes and keep simmering, covered, for 20 minutes. For very soft green beans, add them with the potatoes.
6. Add the green beans. Stir in the green beans and simmer 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables and the beef are tender.
7. Finish with corn, peas and parsley. Stir in the corn and peas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve warm.
When Each Vegetable Goes In
Adding everything at once gives you tough beef or mushy vegetables. Here’s the order:
| What goes in | When | How long it cooks |
|---|---|---|
| Onion, carrots, celery | After the beef is browned | 3 minutes, then garlic 1 minute |
| Broth, tomatoes, beef, herbs | Next | 30 minutes covered |
| Potatoes | After the beef simmers | 20 minutes |
| Green beans | After the potatoes | 15 minutes |
| Frozen corn and peas | Last | About 5 minutes |
| Parsley | Off the heat | Just stir in |
Brown in batches. A crowded pot steams the beef and turns it grey. Two batches in a hot pot give you a good sear. The beef doesn’t have to be cooked through; it finishes in the soup.
Cut sturdy vegetables thick. Carrots, celery and potatoes simmer a long time, and thin pieces fall apart.
Judge it by the beef. The soup is ready when the beef and vegetables are tender.
Too thick or too thin? Add a little more broth if it’s too thick, or simmer it uncovered for 15 minutes to cook some liquid off.
How to Give Vegetable Beef Soup More Flavor
- Brown the beef well: that’s where much of the flavor comes from.
- Use the herbs: dried basil, oregano and thyme in the pot and fresh parsley at the end.
- Add wine or stout: replace part of the broth with dry red wine or a stout like Guinness, with a spoonful of tomato paste and bay leaves.
- Add a bell pepper and bay leaves: cook a chopped green bell pepper with the vegetables and simmer a few bay leaves, removing them at the end.
- Add mushrooms: brown them in a little butter and stir them in for the last 5 minutes.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide the soup into shallow covered containers so it cools quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours. USDA FSIS says to eat it within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze it for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or heat it straight from frozen in a saucepan.
Reheat: Reheat covered until the soup comes to a rolling boil. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Something for dunking is a must: butter biscuits, homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks or bread in 10 minutes. For more beefy bowls, try beef and barley soup, slow cooker steak soup or Instant Pot beef stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key ingredients in vegetable beef soup?
Beef stew meat, beef broth, diced tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas and dried herbs.
What can I add to vegetable beef soup for more flavor?
Brown the beef well, and try red wine or stout, a green bell pepper, bay leaves or browned mushrooms.
What’s the secret to a flavorful beef soup?
A good sear on the beef in small batches and a 30-minute simmer before the vegetables go in.
What cut of beef is best?
Beef stew meat or chuck roast, cut into bite-size cubes.
Can I use chicken broth?
Yes. Low-sodium chicken broth works in place of beef broth.
Final Notes
Chop the potatoes and green beans while the beef simmers, and add each vegetable when its turn comes. If you make it, tell me in the comments which extras you added.
Vegetable Beef Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided: 1 tablespoon for the first batch of beef, 1/2 tablespoon for the second, 1 tablespoon for the vegetables
- salt and freshly ground black pepper for the beef and the soup
- 1 3/4 cups yellow onion chopped; about 1 large
- 1 1/4 cups carrots peeled and chopped; about 3 medium
- 1 cup celery chopped; about 3 medium
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced; about 4 cloves
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
- 2 cans diced tomatoes 14 ounces each
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound red or yellow potatoes chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups green beans ends trimmed, chopped; about 5 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season it with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and brown it about 4 minutes, turning halfway through. Move it to a plate.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pot and brown the remaining beef the same way. Move it to the plate.
- Add the last 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
- Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Add the browned beef, basil, oregano and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add the potatoes and keep simmering, covered, for 20 minutes. For very soft green beans, add them with the potatoes.
- Stir in the green beans and simmer 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables and the beef are tender.
- Stir in the corn and peas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve warm.
