This old-fashioned vegetable beef soup is a timeless classic. It’s as popular today as it was decades ago, and for good reason.
This soup is ultra-loaded with chunks of tender beef, colorful vegetables, and a rich tomato-beef broth.
It’s a hearty and cozy comfort food that’ll warm your body, heart, and soul.
Not only is it full of flavor, but it nourishes the body, too. This soup is definitely super!
Vegetable Beef Soup
Is life feeling a little too dark and gloomy lately? This vegetable beef soup is the solution.
Bursting with mouthwatering flavors and textures, there’s no problem this dish can’t fix. Seriously, one spoonful is enough to turn a frown around.
From the melt-in-your-mouth beef chunks to the hearty veggies to the warming broth, it’s hard to decide what to love most about this soup.
Each element is already perfection on its own, but together, they’ll create a mind-blowing, gastronomic experience.
Considering how scrumptious it is, it’s surprising that it’s so budget-friendly. The ingredients are super affordable, and one batch can feed a whole crowd.
It freezes well, to boot. As long as you store it properly, this soup will last for up to 6 months. How awesome is that?
So, whether you’re hosting a get-together with friends or just having a quiet meal with the family, this soup is an excellent option.
Ingredients
- Meat – I use beef stew meat for this recipe for convenience and affordability. The flavor also doesn’t disappoint!
You can also use chuck roast cut-up into chunks. Or, if you want faster-cooking meat, choose flank steak or ground beef.
- Vegetables – This is a vegetable stew, after all! I use a mix of canned green beans and kernel corn here, but there are tons of other veggies you can add, as well. Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, pinto beans – you name it.
- Broth – For this, I use a combination of beef broth, tomato sauce and paste, and tomato-vegetable juice cocktail. Adjust the measurements accordingly, depending on how thick you want your soup to be.
- Seasonings – A simple blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add more herbs, spices, and seasonings to suit your taste.
Tips for Making the Best Vegetable Beef Soup
- If you want the broth to be thicker, add more tomato paste and add less broth and tomato-vegetable juice.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot when cooking the beef cubes. You’ll want to brown the meat, not steam it.
- This soup is already a complete meal on its own, but make it even more substantial and filling by serving it with any of these:
- Dinner rolls, garlic knots, cornbread, and crackers, for dipping
- Rice, if you’re extra hungry
- Salad, for a light and refreshing contrast to the heaviness of the soup
- This vegetable beef soup gets even more flavorful after a day or two, so consider making it ahead of time. The broth will be thicker, richer, and just overall tastier.
- Storage Instructions: transfer the soup into an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave until it’s warmed through.
Additions and Variations:
- If you don’t have beef stew available, ground beef and Italian sausage both make awesome alternatives. If you have all three, use them all!
- Make your soup more flavorful and aromatic by sauteeing the vegetables with onions and garlic. This will remove any tin-like taste in the canned products. It’s an extra step, but it does make a huge difference. But don’t worry, I won’t judge if you skip it!
- This soup is already filling, but adding cubed potatoes will make it even heartier. It’s up to you what kind of potatoes to use – they’ll all work well.
- Russets will make the broth extra thick and starchy.
- Yukon Golds will add a buttery flavor.
- Reds are less flavorful, but they do retain their shape even when simmered for hours.
- Raid the pantry, fridge, and freezer for carrots, pinto beans, frozen peas and corn, and any vegetable you can think of!
- Brighten up the flavors of the broth even more with a dash of Italian seasoning. It’s a blend of basil, parsley, oregano, and garlic, so expect a wonderful addition of earthy flavors to your soup.
- Throw some macaroni or egg noodles into the soup to turn your scrumptious meal into a feast.
Can You Freeze It?
You certainly can!
That’s what makes this soup even more amazing. You can double or triple the recipe and not worry about leftovers spoiling.
Frozen vegetable beef soup keeps well for up to 6 months! That’s half a year, folks.
Simply let it cool to room temperature, and pour it into freezer-safe bags.
Seal the bags, and into the freezer, they go. There’s no need to thaw the soup in the fridge overnight, either.
Just bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the bag of frozen soup inside. It’ll warm up in the boiling water in just a few minutes.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
4-Ingredient Potato Soup
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Paula Deen’s Taco Soup
Julia Child’s French Onion Soup
Old-Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup (Easy Recipe)
10
servings10
minutes5
hours45
minutes178
kcalIngredients
2 (14-ounce) can beef broth
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (15-ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (46-fluid ounce) bottle tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (i.e. V8®)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine the beef broth and beef stew cubes. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer until the beef is fork-tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add the canned corn, green beans, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to the pot and mix to combine. Pour the tomato-vegetable juice cocktail and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Increase the heat to high to let the stew come to a boil. Reduce the heat again to low, and let the stew simmer for 5 hours. Serve and enjoy!
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