Go Back

Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable beef soup with tender beef chunks and soft potato cubes simmered in a rich mahogany broth. Made in a Dutch oven with hearty vegetables like carrots, celery, green beans, and corn.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and aromatics
  • 1.5 lb beef stew meat Cubed for even browning.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For searing and sautéing.
Vegetables and seasonings
  • 3 potatoes Peeled and cubed.
  • 3 carrots Sliced.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 1 cup green beans Cut.
  • 1 cup frozen corn Keep frozen until cooking.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes Undrained.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste For deep flavor.
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Adds savory depth.
  • 1 tsp dried thyme Dried.
  • 1 bay leaf Remove before serving.
  • salt and pepper To taste.
  • 6 cup beef broth Used for the soup base.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the beef
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total per batch. Remove the beef to a plate.
Sauté the vegetables
  1. In the same Dutch oven, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
Simmer the soup base
  1. Return the browned beef to the pot, then add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered or partially covered, until the broth tastes well seasoned.
Cook the vegetables to tender
  1. Add the cubed potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
  2. Add the green beans and frozen corn and cook for the last 8 minutes until the green beans are crisp-tender and the corn is heated through.
Finish and season
  1. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 2 minutes more if needed to bring back to a steady hot temperature before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: brown the beef in batches so the pot doesn’t steam—this keeps the soup broth rich. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezer is yes (cool completely, then freeze up to 3 months). For a lighter option, use lean stew meat or trim fat; the flavor still holds with the tomato paste and Worcestershire.