Description
This Old-Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup is everything comfort food should be—fork-tender beef chunks, garden-fresh vegetables, and deeply flavorful broth that’s been patiently simmered to perfection. Made with love and traditional techniques, this is the soup that turns a house into a home.
Ingredients
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 medium potatoes, diced into ½-inch cubes
2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cabbage, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
Fresh parsley for garnish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Instructions
1. Pat beef cubes completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef in single layer without crowding.
3. Sear beef undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until deep brown crust forms. Flip and brown remaining sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to pot. Add diced onions and celery, scraping up browned bits.
5. Cook onions and celery until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until paste caramelizes and darkens.
7. Return browned beef and accumulated juices to pot. Pour in beef broth, scraping bottom to release all caramelized bits.
8. Add diced tomatoes with juice, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce if using. Stir well.
9. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 90 minutes until beef is fork-tender. Stir occasionally.
10. After beef is tender, add carrots and potatoes. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
11. Add green beans and cabbage. Simmer 10 more minutes until tender but still slightly crisp.
12. Stir in corn and peas. Cook final 5 minutes until heated through.
13. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
14. Let soup rest 15 minutes before serving. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Don’t skip the beef browning step—it creates the foundation of flavor for the entire soup.
Simmer gently, never boil hard. High heat makes beef tough instead of tender.
Add vegetables in stages based on cooking time to prevent mushiness.
Soup tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to develop.
Freezes beautifully for up to 6 months. Leave 1-inch headspace in containers.
For thicker soup, mash some potatoes against pot side to release starches.
Substitute turnips for potatoes to make keto-friendly (8g net carbs per serving).
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 150
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: old-fashioned vegetable beef soup, beef soup, vegetable soup, comfort food, homemade soup