Vegetable Beef Soup
Vegetable beef soup should be hearty and just downright easy to do. This version is affordable with frozen vegetables and slow-cooked beef to fill you (or your crowd) up in no time flat.
This recipe was originally published in December 2014.
It’s easy to let the heavier cool weather meals weigh you down. Why do we use so much cream and butter and flour in the winter?
I’m not complaining, but there are times when you’d like to have a lighter but still filling soup you won’t need hours on the treadmill to burn off–and an easy to make vegetable beef soup filled with corn, carrots, peas and green beans plus a simmered hearty broth is a great way to do that.
Can I make this vegetable beef soup in my slow cooker?
Yep. You can. I’m not a huge slow cooker fan, but if you want to go that route, just brown your meat in a skillet with the onion and transfer to your slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for about 5 hours, or high for 2. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.
Can I double the ingredients in my vegetable beef soup?
Sure. If you want to double or triple that’s just fine. Or if you want to put in more meat than the recipe calls for and leave the rest of the ingredients the same you can do that too. My family likes a lot of meat in their vegetable beef soup so do what works for your crew. I will say though–don’t skip the cabbage if you can help it. It’s a must here.
Is your vegetable beef soup gluten free?
The ingredients are for the most part, yes. You just need to watch your beef broth. I like Better than Bouillon but there is gluten in their beef base. You’d be much better off to make yours from scratch and then you’d be totally safe!
How long is vegetable beef soup good for in the refrigerator?
Store your cooled soup (let it cool on the stove or counter for a while first) then transfer to a tightly sealed container and your soup will store for 4 or 5 days, no problem.
Enjoy this soup with my no yeast dinner rolls or if you have time, make a batch of the real deal yeast ones, or learn how to make cornbread that truly southern.
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium onion chopped small (about 1/2 pieces or so)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 1, 10- ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (green beans corn, carrots, peas)
- 1 12 ounce can tomato juice or V8 juice
- 1 15 ounce can whole tomatoes with the juice
- 1 1/2 cup cups chopped cabbage about 1 inch pieces or so
- 1 large potato cut into 1- cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add the olive oil and heat 1-2 minutes.
- Add the meat and onion and brown on all sides--about 5 minutes total.
- Cover with the water (add more if necessary to cover the meat totally) and simmer covered, on low about an hour until the meat is more tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cover.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes soften and the cabbage wilts.
- Serve immediately, or for the best flavor, allow the soup to sit for about an hour before eating if you can so the flavors can develop further.
- If you use your slow cooker, brown the meat in a skillet with the olive oil and onion. Add to your slow cooker along with the other ingredients and cook on high 2-3 hours or low for about 5 hours.
Since I actually saw you make this on YouTube and how simple it really is, I’ve pinned it to try soon. I love that you’re doing the videos!! Keep up the good work!!
When will you ever trust me when I tell you something is easy Kim? 😉 You’ll really like it I think! –Rachel
I make my own broths to eliminate all the sodium from the canned store bought brands. My favorite broth is vegetable broth made from all the scraps that used to go in the garbage!!
Yes of course Bonnie. It’s always best to make your own whenever you can, and anything you can put to use and not pitch out is wonderful. 🙂 –Rachel
I make my own beef bone broth. Do not use cabbage. Use only Himalayan Rock Salt. Awesome soup. Just like grandma made.
Well Kathy it sounds like you have the best of all the things in there! Wonderful adjustments and additions. So glad you enjoy it.–Rachel
We are totally making this on Thursday night this week. It looks delicious. Thanks so much! And the yeast rolls…I’ve always been intimidated by them, but I love the idea of enjoying them made from ingredients I can pronounce and letting my kids turn loose on them!
Yes Lisa! I hope you enjoyed it. I know I had a friend call in a panic the other day because she didn’t have a “packet” from the store to put in her vegetable soup. I asked her what in the world kind of packet she had to have to make soup?? LOL. You don’t have to rely on additives and extra salt, MSG or any of that to make a great meal. I’m so glad you commented. Let me know how everyone liked it. 🙂 –Rachel
what is a one-inch large potatoe and a one-inch onion….? sort of confused by the recipe
Sorry about that Cyndie! That was a computer glitch. It’s fixed now and should make more sense. –Rachel
Love this recipe. Could you please tell me how many calories are in this soup and the serving size?
Thank you
Hey Anna, down at the bottom of the recipe is the calorie count. It’s 168 for this particular soup and the soup serves 8 to 10 people. So about a cup of soup (8 ounces) would be close to 168 calories. –Rachel
I made this soup yesterday. Along with the meat and water, I used a soup bone to bring more flavor in. That is what makes the stock. No need to swap the water out. Less salt and more healthy. The soup was perfect and filling. I will make this soup again and again. My family also enjoyed it.
Hey Cheryl, that’s great to hear! And yes, a bone in there would certainly lend a depth of flavor–and I hope no one swaps their water out! Yikes! There would go all of the good flavor. Sounds like you have that well under control though. I hope you will enjoy it often! –Rachel
I’m making this now , I’m making a huge crockpot full , my question is I am using can vegetables, so when would I add them? I don’t want them to be musky .i am useing raw potatoes so I have added them with the meat and vegetables already .
Hey Barb–sorry I’m late responding. I’m sure you made your soup already but I’d add those canned vegetables in the last 10 minutes of cooking so they aren’t too soft when you eat them. Just simmer them long enough to warm them up. I hope you enjoyed it! Rachel
My church served the Community Dinner tonight and we made the soup. It was a huge hit. Lots of rave reviews. Only added a little more salt.
I gave it 5 stars but only 4 showed up.
That’s okay Maureen! 4 works for me. 😉
Hi Rachel your soup is on the stove as I am sending this email. Only made a minor change and added some beef broth. It smells wonderful according to my family.and they can’t wait to try it. I just noticed your chicken soup recipe.thanks so much. The weather here in illinois is 5 degrees so soup is a great meal..
I just started adding beef broth to mine as well Mary so I’m sure it’s wonderful! It’s cold here too and I actually made this soup just last night. 🙂 I hope you love it. –Rachel
Hi I see some people replaced it with beef broth are they using that instead of water?
Hey Susan, I think (at least in my case) you can replace maybe half the water with beef broth but I wouldn’t swap it all. It does enrich the soup but put too much in and you may end up too salty or the flavor may overpower the vegetables. Thanks for your question. –Rachel