Vegetable Beef Soup is a deeply savory, rich, thick soup, complete with tender ground beef, loads of colorful veggies, and the most delicious broth!
Try some other favorite beef vegetable soup recipes like Crockpot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Beef Stew, or Beef and Barley Soup.
Try out this Vegetable Beef Soup recipe, which is part of a collection of favorite soup recipes. Click here to see all the recipes in the collection.
A Thick Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
Soup can be a great meal to make on a budget since it’s typically inexpensive to make while being very filling. Essentially, the broth “stretches” the ingredients. That, and veggies add lots of volume (and satiating power) while being relatively inexpensive.
What typically costs the most in a soup recipe is the meat. And getting a good cut of beef can be very spendy! Which is why I wanted to create a more budget-friendly beef soup recipe without sacrificing flavor.
Yes, ground beef will never compare to a good marbled chuck roast or short ribs, but I think you’ll be amazed how much richness and flavor you can get with ground beef in this soup recipe. And at a fraction of the cost!
What Veggies Go With Beef Soup?
- Onion, celery, and carrots. This mix of veggies adds sweetness and enhances the flavors of the soup, and many other dishes, creating the flavor base.
- Tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste pair beautifully with beef, giving a fresh taste that balances the richness.
- Potatoes. They thicken the stew and absorb the rich flavors.
- Frozen veggies like peas and corn. These add a touch of sweetness and nice color to the soup.
Quick Tip
There are lots of veggies that don’t traditionally go with beef soup, but would work well in this recipe. Think sweet potatoes, turnips, cabbage, spinach, green beans, or hearty squashes.
What Order Do You Put Vegetables In Soup?
- Start with onions, celery, and carrots to create the flavor base.
- Next, cook tomatoes briefly to bring out their natural sweetness, then add the broth.
- Add starchy vegetables like potatoes, which take longer to soften.
- Finally, add frozen vegetables, which defrost and cook quickly in the heat of the broth.
The full recipe card below details how to make this soup. Here are our top tips:
How To Make Vegetable Beef Soup
- Sauté the tomato paste until it darkens to bring out flavor, along with the flavorsome veggies, before adding liquid.
- Stir frequently to stop the flour from settling. Stir and scrape well.
- Use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes like Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano®, or Muir Glen® for added smoky sweetness.
Add flour! It helps thicken the soup along with the potato starch. Simmer until the potatoes are tender for an even thicker soup.
For better beef soup:
1. Season as you go: Season the veggies, beef, and broth separately for richer flavor.
2. Sear the beef: Brown the beef before crumbling for added depth.
Storage
Vegetable Beef Soup Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container, up to 5 days. Leftovers only get more flavorful! Reheat gently on the stovetop adding a splash more beef broth if desired to thin.
Freeze completely cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months, noting that frozen and thawed potatoes may end up a bit mushy. (More details in this freezing soup guide!)
What To Serve With This Soup
- Try a good crusty baguette or buttered artisan bread (like this No-Knead Bread), homemade Dinner Rolls, French Bread, or crackers/saltines.
- Serve with some kind of quick salad; our favorites include everyday Salad Recipe, Garden Salad, or Winter Salad.
- Add a side dish of fruit, or try this Winter Fruit Salad.
More Hearty Soup Recipes:
- Potato Leek Soup with golden potatoes
- Curry Noodle Soup with ramen noodles!
- 15-Bean Soup made creamy!
- Lasagna Soup with Italian sausage
- Sausage Potato Soup with potatoes
Vegetable Beef Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion
- 1-1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrots 3 to 4 carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery 3 to 4 stalks
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground beef chuck 80/20
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes fire-roasted is great, see note 1
- 1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups baby potatoes halved or quartered
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Fresh thyme or parsley, for topping, optional
- Hearty warmed bread for dipping, optional
Instructions
- Heat a very large, heavy-bottomed pot to medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrot. Season (I add 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper) and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Press veggies to edges of pan. Add beef to the center. Season beef to taste (I add another 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper) Let sear, then crumble until browned, integrating with veggies as you cook the beef.
- Once browned through, add garlic, tomato paste, beef bouillon, and paprika. Sauté, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and tomato paste begins to slightly darken, about 2–3 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour on top and mix through. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes (careful—they’ll sputter up!), and sauté 1 more minute. While stirring constantly, gradually pour in beef broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan and continue to pour in beef broth until it’s all added. Add dried thyme, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, and bay leaves. Stir through. Increase heat to high, bringing soup to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with lid, and cook 15–20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender (easily pierced with a fork). Stir every 4–5 minutes, taking time to scrape the bottom of the pot to keep the base from catching. Promptly return lid after stirring.
- Once potatoes are tender and broth has thickened nicely, add peas and corn. Stir just to warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings to personal preference. Remove bay leaves and discard. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs, if using. Dip in some hearty bread and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
New family favorite! Surprising amount of flavor for such a simple concept. Thank you again for another addition to our recipe book!
You are so welcome! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed! Thanks Mandi! 🙂
I made the Vegetable Beef Soup yesterday, All I can say is OMG ! The flavor was unbelievable and with a couple of changes I did. Used “Smoked Paprika” as that is what I had and think that did it for the flavor!! Also used the fire roasted tomatoes and added Kidney Beans instead of the Peas & Corn. Can’t wait to taste tonight as its sitting in refrigerator I’m sure more flavor will come out. Looks just like the picture and was like a thick stew. Was cold out yesterday and was a Great soup to warm up with ! To make it Gluten Free just use the flour appropriate which I told my friend to use. Highly recommend the Smoked Paprika and fire roasted tomatoes.
I am SO thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Janet! 🙂
Loved this soup. Definitely will be making it again.
So happy to hear this! Thanks Michael! 🙂
I made this soup last night, and my husband gave a foot-stomping response as he took his first bite! It was surprisingly flavorful with more depth of flavor than some beef stews I’ve made. Once again, you have proven yourself as someone whose recipes I can trust to be delicious, and you’ve made the most out of very humble ingredients! (I did sub diced tomatoes for the crushed since my store only had large cans of crushed, and they worked well.). Question: I did not drain the ground beef after browning since your instructions did not mention that, and I was afraid it would be greasy. It seemed to be fine, but I wonder if draining off a bit of that grease next time would hurt the flavor.
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for all your tips! 🙂
Just made this soup, easy and delish! Full of flavor, perfect for a cold winter day. Thank you for sharing.
So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for the comment Cindy! 🙂