Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
This Vegetable Beef Soup is packed with veggies, tender beef, potatoes, herbs, and spices in a rich tomato beef broth. It’s hearty, packed with flavor and so comforting.
We love cozy and satisfying soups like Beef Stew, or Chicken and Rice Soup, and of course this Vegetable Beef Soup. Pair it with Soft Dinner Rolls and dinner is made!
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What is Vegetable Beef Soup?
Vegetable beef soup is a hearty soup with a combination of vegetables, potatoes, and beef stew meat. It is essentially a Vegetable Soup with tender chunks of beef that are infused with flavor from the veggies, herbs, and spices in the broth.
This soup is ready in about an hour and a half, but make it once and enjoy it for lunch or dinner throughout the week. Similar to our Slow Cooker Beef Stew, this just gets better as the flavors meld together.
Ingredients
This vegetable beef soup recipe uses simple ingredients that may already be in your pantry and refrigerator. Isn’t it great when you don’t need to run to the store for special ingredients? Here’s what you’ll need (scroll down for exact measurements in the print-friendly recipe card below).
- Oil: Olive oil (or avocado oil) is used to saute the beef and aromatics.
- Beef stew meat: Use beef stew cuts with fatty marbling. The more marbling, the more tender and juicy the beef.
- Veggies: There are loads of vegetables in this soup including yellow onion, green onions, canned diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, and green beans (see substitution ideas below).
- Beef broth: Use a low-sodium beef broth to limit the amount of salt in the soup. However, you can also replace it with Chicken Stock.
- Potatoes: The potatoes make the soup extra-filling. Use red or russet potatoes for the best results.
- Herbs: Bay leaves and fresh parsley add important flavor to the soup. Instead of parsley, feel free to use dill.
- Spices: Season the soup to taste with classic salt and pepper seasoning. For even more flavor, add thyme or oregano.
How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup
Vegetable beef soup is easy to make and it all comes together in one pot (hooray for fewer dishes!). Add the ingredients in the correct order so they cook through properly.
- Saute the beef: Preheat a heavy soup pot with oil on medium-high heat, then saute beef until browned on all sides.
- Cook the onions: Add the onions to the beef and cook until the onions are soft and golden.
- Pour in liquid ingredients: Add beef broth, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to mix. Boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the beef is tender, about 50-60 minutes.
- Add hard vegetables: Add potatoes, carrots, and celery and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add soft vegetables: Add green beans and green onions, then simmer for 10 additional minutes.
- Serve: Add parsley and serve with extra herbs if preferred.
Tips for the Best Soup
This recipe is easy and straightforward but there are ways to make your soup taste it’s best. Follow these tips for the most flavorful results.
- Brown beef in small portions: If your pot is not large enough, brown the beef in small portions. It’s important to get a good sear on the meat which flavor to the soup and also prevents the beef from steam cooking and becoming tough and chewy.
- Scrape the pot: After browning the meat and adding in the liquid ingredients, scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and release the delicious brown bits into the soup. This is why it’s best to make the soup all in one pot.
- Cut ingredients into even pieces: For even cooking and a better texture, cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
- Adjust the seasoning: Depending on the brand of canned tomatoes and the type of broth used, adjust the salt and pepper seasoning to taste. Some canned tomatoes and broths are saltier so wait until the end to add more seasonings to taste if needed.
- Remove bay leaves: Bay leaves are vital for flavor while the soup is cooking, but remove them after the soup is ready.
- Add herbs: For more freshness, add the parsley to the soup pot at the end and garnish with more freshly chopped parsley to serve.
How to Serve Vegetable Beef Soup
Vegetable beef soup is filling and wonderful on its own, but like most soups, it’s perfect with bread. Try our Cloverleaf Rolls, Focaccia Bread, or pair it with a slice of Crusty French Bread.
The soup is best served warm, but if you want to pair it with a cool and crisp side dish, make a fresh Chickpea Salad, or a classic Caesar Salad.
Common Questions
The best way to ensure a flavorful soup is to brown the beef and onions in the beginning. If the soup tastes bland at the end of cooking, add more spices and herbs. After adding, allow the soup to cook a little longer so the flavors to meld together.
You can change up the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. For even more variety, add fresh garlic, canned corn, frozen peas, and asparagus. Just be sure to add soft vegetables towards the end when you would add the green beans.
This vegetable beef soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. However, due to the potatoes, the consistency may change and get mushy after thawing.
Stew meat is the easiest option because it doesn’t require any additional prep. Chuck roast or another well-marbled steak are good alternatives if you prefer to cut your own chunks of beef into 1-inch cubes.
Make-Ahead
- To Store Soup – Once the vegetable beef soup has cooled to room temperature, store the soup in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating Soup – You can reheat a large portion of leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat, or reheat a smaller portion in a saucepan, or in the microwave until hot.
More Tasty Soup Recipes
It’s always nice to have a bowl of soup ready as a starter for a multi-course meal, or even for a casual no-fuss dinner for the family. These soup recipes are guaranteed to make it to your soup rotation.
- Creamy Carrot Soup
- Tomato Soup (don’t forget Grilled Cheese!)
- Potato Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Quick and Easy Wonton Soup
- Beef and Barley Soup
Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb beef stew meat
- 1 medium onion, 1 1/2 cups finely diced
- 8 cups beef broth, low sodium
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled, and chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy soup pot or dutch oven with oil over medium-high heat. Add beef in a single layer and cook until browned on all sides. Brown in batches if needed to get a good sear.
- To the beef add onions and continue cooking for about 3 minutes or until the onions are softened and lightly golden.
- Add beef broth, canned tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover and cook until beef is tender, for about 55-75 minutes.*
- Add in potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 20 minutes.
- Add in green beans and green onion and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Add the parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper, and take it off the heat.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I added a bit more of everything just to have good leftovers, along with okra, lima beans and shoepeg corn. This soup was the best vegetable beef I think I’ve made. Haven’t been disappointed in any of your recipes I’ve tried.
So glad that you enjoyed it and all of my other recipes!
Wow, wow, WOW! Such a rich, flavorful soup! Most vegetable beef recipes I’ve tried have been meh. Used a couple of beef soup bones in the instant pot for the meat & broth, and threw in a handful of frozen peas & corn. Otherwise, I followed to a T. Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe!
You’re very welcome, Maren! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Fantastic. It’s a keeper Natasha!
I used top sirloin roast and it was tender after the cooking time in the recipe.
So glad you loved the recipe, Elaine!
Made this today and my three boys (ages 7, 11, 12) said, Mom WOW! This is the BEST. I said, you can thank Natasha! ❤️
Aw, that’s amazing. I’m so glad they loved it.
So much flavor!! I’ve never had a beef stew like this one. I’ve made it once and searched along the internet for 30 minutes just to find this recipe again. Highly recommend!
That’s awesome review, thank you so much!
This is so good, meat was very tender, definitely make this again
So glad you loved it, Judy! 🙂
Delicious!!! This soup is perfect with or without meat. Simple to make and easy to clean-up. The flavor is rich and the soup is filling. I made it exactly as written. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us
Hello Sandra, thank you for your comments and for following the recipe exactly as written. We appreciate that!
Wow! What a great dish Natasha! And great for leftovers! Followed the steps as written. Thanks so much for all the recipes. God Bless you and your family and thanks for singing at church! Brad and Melissa
Thank you so much, Brad and Melissa. I appreciate it! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
This is ideal for a chilly climate. Cozy. I’m delighted the recipe was a success.
Great to hear. Thank you
This recipe is excellent. We have a number of soup recipes, but this one has a unique flavor that both my wife and I adore. I faithfully followed the recipe and would not alter it.
Glad you both enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Natasha,
Wondering if you think this recipe would work if the potatoes were omitted and extra veggies were added. I’d appreciate your thoughts on that.
I haven’t tested that but I think that will work just fine. We’d love to know how it goes if you try it!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit even with my 5yo picky eater grandson. Thanks Natasha!
That’s wonderful, Paul! So glad they enjoyed the recipe.
This look so delicious and hearty. Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Kathy! I have not tested freezing it to advise. Let us know if you experiment.
I am making as we speak. Do you remove the bay leaves whan you are ready to serve?
Hi Joscelyn. You can leave them in there but remove them from the bowl if you scoop them up. 🙂
Natasha: This is a fantastic recipe. We have several soup recipes but this one has a special flavor my wife and I absolutely love. Followed the recipe to the letter and would not change thank. Thank You!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Doug!
Do you have a version of this recipe using a crock pot slow cooker?
Hi Kristel, I don’t have a crock pot slow cooker version. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes.
I made this in a crockpot, I browned the meat and onions, then put everything in the crockpot and cooked all day, it turned out Wonderful, thank you Natasha for another fantastic recipe.
You are so welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
What is the serving size in the vegetable beef soup. Looks so delicious.
Hi Debbie! The recipe serves 8. The serving size is 1. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Delicious soup. I didn’t have beans so put in frozen peas and a couple handfuls of fresh spinach. So good on a snowy winter day today.
This is perfect for cold weather. So cozy. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Rhonda!
This soup is so very good! I used rib eye for the meat and added a can of corn. It was so yummy!! Thanks for the recipe! It’ll be one of my go-to recipes!!
Hi Paula! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Could I make this in the instant pot to cut the time? How long do you think would take in insant pot? Maybe 25 minutes?
Hi Sarah, I have not tested this in an instant pot to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
this soup is super tasty, my friends and I all ate it up! thank you so much for sharing this recipe
Hi Jess! I’m glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing.
Yum! This soup was so hearty and delicious, my family loved it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Olivia!
Oh, my, this soup is incredible!! It’s hearty & full of so much flavor!! Love the stew meat with the veggies!
The perfect soup for this chilly weather! Thank you for your great review, Kristyn!