Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe

Today I’m bringing you a truly luscious soup that’s practically a hug in a bowl! Nothing beats a Beef Vegetable Soup when you need that classic, hearty comfort food. This recipe is packed with tender beef, a rainbow of fresh vegetables, and a rich, savory broth that simmers away until the flavors are perfectly blended. It’s the kind of meal that warms your soul and makes the whole house smell absolutely incredible. This one’s a game-changer for soup season, and trust me, you are going to love the deep, satisfying flavor!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ultimate Comfort Food: It’s a classic for a reason! This soup is the definition of hearty and nourishing, perfect for chilly evenings.
• Packed with Veggies: With carrots, potatoes, celery, green beans, corn, and peas, you’re getting a delicious dose of goodness in every spoonful.
• Hands-Off Simmering: Once you get everything into the pot, it simply simmers away, allowing the beef to become incredibly tender and the flavors to deepen beautifully. Minimal work for maximum flavor!
• Freezer-Friendly: This soup makes fantastic leftovers and freezes like a dream, so you can enjoy cozy comfort even on the busiest weeknights.

Ingredients

All you need for this incredible Beef Vegetable Soup is a little patience (that long simmer is worth it!) and a few pantry staples. But first, let’s gather up these essential ingredients:

• Beef Stew Meat: This is the star of the show! Make sure your chunks are small enough to get tender but big enough to hold up through the long simmer. Browning them first is the key to deep, meaty flavor.
• Olive Oil: Used to brown the beef and sauté the aromatics, creating the foundational flavor layer for our soup.
• Onion & Garlic: The aromatic backbone! Diced onion and minced garlic add a savory depth that makes this soup taste like home.
• Carrots, Potatoes, & Celery: The classic mirepoix addition, adding natural sweetness, earthiness, and essential texture. The potatoes also help thicken the broth slightly as they cook down.
• Green Beans, Corn Kernels, & Peas: These add wonderful color, texture, and a touch of sweetness. Feel free to use fresh or frozen—whatever makes your life easier!
• Diced Tomatoes (Canned): These bring a little acidity and tang, which brightens the overall flavor and pairs beautifully with the savory beef.
• Beef Broth: The liquid gold! Using a good quality beef broth is essential here, as it’s the base of your entire soup.
• Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, & Paprika: Our spice trio that adds warmth, earthiness, and that classic “beef and vegetable soup” character.
• Bay Leaf: Don’t skip this! It adds a subtle herbal undertone that truly enhances the richness of the broth. Remember to fish it out before serving!
• Salt & Pepper: Essential for seasoning. You’ll want to adjust these at the end to make the flavors truly pop.
• Fresh Parsley (for Garnish): A bright finish! Chopped parsley adds a fresh color and a little herbaceous zing right before serving.

Note: The complete list of ingredients with exact measurements is included in the recipe card right under this article!

How to Make the Beef Vegetable Soup

This recipe is incredibly straightforward, but that long, slow simmer is where the magic happens!

Step 1: Brown the Beef

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add your beef stew meat and cook it until it’s beautifully browned on all sides, about 5–7 minutes. Browning the meat is crucial because it locks in that deep, savory flavor!

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics

Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pot. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, just until the onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Oh my gosh, you can practically smell the goodness already!

Step 3: Add the Vegetables

Stir in the sturdy carrots, potatoes, and celery, along with the green beans, corn, and peas. Give them a good stir to coat them in the flavorful oil and drippings.

Step 4: Introduce the Liquids and Spices

Pour in the diced tomatoes and the beef broth. Toss in the dried thyme, oregano, paprika, and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5: Simmer to Perfection

Bring the soup to a full boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and let it gently simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is incredibly tender—it should practically melt in your mouth! This slow cook is what makes the broth so rich.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

Once the beef is tender, remove the bay leaf (super important!). Give the soup a taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle it hot into bowls and garnish generously with fresh, chopped parsley.

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Don’t Rush the Browning: Really take the time to brown the stew meat properly. That dark, caramelized crust creates the foundation of the soup’s rich flavor. Don’t overcrowd the pot; if necessary, brown the beef in two batches!
• Adjust Vegetable Size: Cut your potatoes and carrots into uniform, small dice. This ensures they all cook at the same rate and you get a little bit of everything in each spoonful.
• Use Quality Broth: Since beef broth is the main liquid, using a high-quality, flavorful broth makes a huge difference in the final taste of your soup.
• The Final Seasoning: The simmering process concentrates flavors, but it can also mute the salt. Always taste the soup at the very end and add a final pinch of salt and pepper to make the flavors pop!

How to Serve

This Beef Vegetable Soup is hearty enough to be a full meal all on its own, but here are a few ways to make it extra special:

• Crusty Bread: A must-have! Serve it with a thick slice of warm, crusty bread or a homemade rustic loaf perfect for dunking into that rich broth.
• Over Rice: For an even more filling meal, serve the soup ladled over a scoop of fluffy white or brown rice.
• Garnishes: Beyond the parsley, a swirl of sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh chives, or a dash of hot sauce can add delightful variety.
• Pairing: A simple green side salad with a light vinaigrette is the perfect fresh contrast to the soup’s richness.

Make Ahead and Storage

This soup is one of those wonderful recipes that actually tastes better the next day!

Storing Leftovers

Place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezing

This soup freezes beautifully! Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe bags or containers (leaving a little headspace for expansion). It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or pour the entire batch into a pot and reheat gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop until warmed through.

FAQs

1. Can I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh for this soup?

Absolutely! This is one of the best parts of this recipe—it’s super flexible. If you’re short on time, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (like the carrots, corn, and peas) works beautifully. Just toss them in during Step 3. Keep in mind that frozen veggies might cook a little quicker, so just check the tenderness of the beef and potatoes before serving.

2. Why do I need to simmer the soup for so long?

The long simmer is the secret ingredient! Beef stew meat needs that time to break down the tough fibers and become wonderfully tender and fall-apart soft. More importantly, simmering allows all those beautiful herbs, spices, and vegetable flavors to marry together, resulting in a rich, complex, and incredibly flavorful broth that you simply can’t achieve with a quick boil.

3. What cut of beef is best for this recipe?

We use pre-cut beef stew meat, which is usually chuck. Chuck is ideal because it has great marbling and connective tissue that breaks down during the long, slow cook. This breakdown is what keeps the meat moist and tender while adding a gelatinous, silky quality to the broth. Avoid lean cuts like sirloin, as they will dry out and become tough.

4. How can I make this soup thicker?

If you prefer a thicker, heartier soup, you have a couple of options! You can mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, then stir the slurry into the simmering soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, remove about 1 cup of the soup (mostly potatoes) and mash it with a fork or an immersion blender before stirring it back into the pot.