Steak and Potato Soup is a creamy stovetop soup made with browned cubes of sirloin, Yukon Gold potatoes, onion and garlic simmered in beef broth with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and thyme, then finished with heavy cream. It’s ready in about 35 minutes, in one pot, and serves 4.
How to make it: Season 1-inch sirloin cubes and brown them in olive oil until they reach 145°F, then set them aside. Soften the onion and garlic in the same pot, stir in a little flour, and add the broth, seasonings and potatoes, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, then stir the steak back in with the cream.
Why You’ll Love It
- Weeknight fast: about 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking.
- One pot: the steak, the soup base and the potatoes all cook in the same stock pot.
- Tender steak: the beef is browned first and added back at the end, so it doesn’t boil for 20 minutes.
- A full meal: meat, potatoes and a creamy broth in every bowl.
Ingredient Notes
Sirloin steak: 16 ounces, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes. Season them with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
Olive oil: 2 tablespoons, for browning the steak.
Onion and garlic: 1 small onion, diced, and 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
Flour: 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. It cooks with the onion for a minute and thickens the broth.
Beef broth: 32 ounces (4 cups). Low-sodium or salt-free broth is a good choice, since the Worcestershire sauce and mustard add salt too.
Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and thyme: 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire (or steak sauce), 1 teaspoon of Dijon and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme.
Yukon Gold potatoes: 1 pound, chopped into bite-size cubes. Russet or red potatoes also work.
Heavy cream: 8 ounces (1 cup), stirred in at the end.
Parsley or chives: optional, for the top.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 32 ounces beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or steak sauce)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into bite-size cubes
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- Parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)
How to Make Steak and Potato Soup
1. Cut and season the steak. Trim the sirloin and cut it into bite-size pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Season all sides with the salt and pepper.
2. Brown the steak. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the steak and cook until browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes, until a food thermometer reads 145°F in the center of the largest piece. Remove the steak, cover it and set it aside, leaving the juices and fat in the pot. Let it rest at least 3 minutes; it rests while the soup cooks.
3. Cook the onion and garlic. Add the onion to the pot and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
4. Add the flour. Add the flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the broth and potatoes. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme and potatoes. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to pull up the browned bits.
6. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and a fork pierces them easily.
7. Add the steak and cream. Return the steak to the pot with the heavy cream and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley or chives if you like, and serve.
How to Keep the Steak Tender
Steak cubes turn tough when they boil in the soup for too long. The method above avoids that. Here’s what matters:
- Brown in batches. If the cubes don’t fit in one layer, brown them in 2 or 3 batches. A crowded pot steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Check the temperature, not the clock. The cubes need to reach 145°F in the center, then rest at least 3 minutes. They rest while the potatoes simmer.
- Take the steak out. Set it aside, covered, while the potatoes cook, and put it back only at the end with the cream.
- Don’t simmer it long after that. Once the steak is back in, heat the soup through for a few minutes and serve. Long simmering is what toughens the beef.
- Trim the fat. Cut off the fat before cubing so the pieces are all meat.
The Secret to a Rich Broth
The flavor comes from the pot itself. When you take the steak out, leave its juices and fat behind, then cook the onion in them. When the broth goes in, scrape the bottom of the pot so the browned bits dissolve into the soup. A spoonful of Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce, a little Dijon and some thyme do the rest. If you like, you can replace 1/4 cup of the broth with red wine.
Which Steak and Which Broth?
The steak: sirloin is the cut on this recipe card. Tenderloin, ribeye, flank or strip steak also work in a quick stovetop soup like this one. For a slow cooker soup, beef stew meat or chuck roast is the usual choice, cooked on low for 8 to 10 hours until fork tender.
The broth: beef broth or beef stock. Use low-sodium or salt-free broth if you can, and taste for salt at the end.
Variations
- Cheesy steak and potato soup: make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in milk and cream with the beef stock, and stir in shredded white cheddar off the heat.
- Slow cooker: use stew meat and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Thaw the meat before it goes in, put the vegetables in first, and keep the lid on.
- More vegetables: add carrots, celery, peas, green beans or mushrooms with the potatoes.
- Steak sauce: use it in place of the Worcestershire sauce.
- No fresh onion: use 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion or about 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Cool the soup and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Divide a big pot into smaller, shallow covered containers so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: It can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, but cream tends to separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered, on the stove or in the microwave, until the soup comes to a rolling boil (165°F). Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
This soup is hearty enough to be the whole meal, so keep the sides simple: a crisp green salad, some roasted or steamed green beans, or bread for dipping. Try cheesy garlic breadsticks or warm butter biscuits, or a slice of cornbread.
More beef and potato ideas: for a steak soup with pasta instead of potatoes, make this slow cooker steak soup. For ground beef, there’s creamy potato and hamburger soup. Want potato soup without the meat? Try creamy baked potato soup. And if you’d rather have steak and potatoes on a plate, make garlic butter steak bites with cheesy smashed potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of steak is best for steak and potato soup?
This recipe uses sirloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes. Tenderloin, ribeye, flank or strip steak work too. Stew meat is better suited to a slow cooker soup.
What’s the best broth for steak and potato soup?
Beef broth or beef stock, ideally low-sodium or salt-free, so you can control the salt.
What’s the secret to a good steak and potato soup?
Brown the steak first, cook the onion in the same pot, scrape up the browned bits with the broth, and add the steak back only at the end with the cream.
How do I keep the steak from getting tough?
Brown it until it reaches 145°F, set it aside while the potatoes cook, and add it back at the end so it doesn’t simmer for long.
Can I freeze steak and potato soup?
You can, for 3 to 4 months, but the cream may separate after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat until it reaches a rolling boil.
Final Notes
Keep this one for cold nights when you want something hearty on the table in about half an hour. If you try it with a different cut of steak, tell me in the comments which one you used.
Steak and Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces sirloin steak trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 32 ounces beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes chopped into bite-size cubes
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- parsley or chives for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Trim the sirloin and cut it into bite-size pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Season all sides with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the steak and cook until browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes, until a food thermometer reads 145°F in the center of the largest piece. Remove the steak, cover it and set it aside, leaving the juices and fat in the pot. Let it rest at least 3 minutes; it rests while the soup cooks.
- Add the onion to the pot and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add the flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme and potatoes. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to pull up the browned bits.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and a fork pierces them easily.
- Return the steak to the pot with the heavy cream and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley or chives if you like, and serve.
