Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup is a deeply savory, rich, thick soup, complete with tender ground beef, loads of colorful veggies, and the most delicious broth!

This is the perfect soup recipe to make with leftover, lingering veggies in the fridge. It’s hearty and filling–especially with some warm crusty bread for dipping! This soup is also a great candidate for making ahead of time–it only gets more flavorful as it sits! It reheats well and freezes great.

Try some of our other favorite beef vegetable soup recipes like this Crockpot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Beef Stew, or Beef and Barley Soup.

Try out this Vegetable Beef Soup recipe, which is part of our 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 combo of veggies is the “secret” to sweetening and deepening the flavors of this soup, specifically, as well as many other dishes. They play an important role in creating the flavor base.
• Tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes (as well as tomato paste) make for a beautiful pairing with beef. Their acidity lends a contrasting bright note to the richness of the beef.
• Potatoes. Not only do potatoes help thicken the stew, they also take on the deep, rich surrounding flavors. 
• Frozen veggies like peas and corn. These veggies add a pop of sweetness and lovely color to Vegetable Beef Soup.

Speaking of veggies that pair well with beef, it’s important to stagger when vegetables are added to the soup since not all veggies cook at the same rate. 

What Order Do You Put Vegetables In Soup?

1. Start with aromatics of onions, celery, and carrots which (as mentioned earlier) will create the flavor base.
2. Next, add in tomatoes. A quick sauté (contact with heat) is going to bring out more of their natural sweetness. After the tomatoes are in, broth can go in too.
3. The next type of vegetables to add in along with the broth are root vegetables like potatoes or hearty root vegetables, since they take longer to get tender. 
4. The last addition to soup is the frozen vegetables. Most frozen vegetables don’t need to be in the soup too long–they thaw and cook through 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

1. Take time to sauté the tomato paste until it darkens. Even though it seems a little strange since it’s all very dry, we’re unlocking loads of flavor by taking the time to sauté the paste and aromatics before adding in the liquid. 
2. Stir frequently. This soup is thickened with flour, and we don’t want that ending up on the bottom of the pot! Scrape the bottom of the pot and stir well to ensure it’s nicely incorporated.
3. Use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. The tomatoes make a big difference flavor-wise, so I recommend good-quality fire-roasted tomatoes (such as Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano Italian®, or Muir Glen®). This type of tomato is charred over a flame before being crushed and canned. Contact with the flame brings out the tomato’s sweetness and gives a distinct, smoky flavor. You get more flavor without any extra work!

Vegetable Beef Soup FAQs

What To Serve With Beef Vegetable Soup

The great thing about this Beef Vegetable Soup recipe is that it’s a full meal all in one bowl. It’s got meat, plenty of veggies, and a rich broth. So, if you’re going to serve something alongside, keep it simple! Below are a few recommendations.

• 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