I have developed a little tradition at the beginning of each winter of having my own personal soup-a-thon. On a random Saturday once the weather turns cold, I make a mega grocery store run, then come home and pull out just about every pot and slow cooker I own, and make as many soups as possible all at one time. And then…(sorry, you thought I was going to say I had a big soup party and shared everything, didn’t you?)…
…I freeze ’em.
Yep. Soup hoarder, right here.
Actually, I have already shared quite a bit of the deliciousness from my freezer with friends. But oh man, I can’t tell you how nice it has been over the past few weeks to have those 30+ single-serving containers of soup reading and waiting when I don’t have time (or want) to cook a meal. And strangely, I get bored with many leftovers, but never seem to get tired of soup. Especially on freezing cold winter days, it always hits the spot.
This year, I made 4 different recipes, including my favorite 5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili, Ham and Cabbage Soup, Slow Cooker Chili, and a classic — Vegetable Beef Soup.
This soup was one of the few that I liked back in the picky eating days of my childhood. And my mom will tell you that I used to request it all the time.
Of course, I didn’t actually like vegetables. (Which poses a problem to the name of this soup.) So she would make it heavy on the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes. And I have to admit, I still love it that way the best. But if peas, green beans, zucchini, corn, or extra beans happen to be around, I’ll toss them in too.
So if you happen to have picky eaters in the house, you can make this soup as vegetable-y or as non-vegetable-y as you’d like.
And while I made this batch on the stovetop, I’d love to point out that it’s also fantastic when made in the slow cooker. (I just recommend browning your beef in a bit of oil in a skillet before adding it to the bowl of your slow cooker along with the other ingredients.)
And of course, it’s also great for freezing. :)
Enjoy!
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 pounds sirloin steak, or beef stew meat (or whatever lean steaks are on sale!), cut into about 1″ cubes
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 lb. potatoes (I like Yukon Gold), diced and (if desired) peeled
- 8 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more/less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- (optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley)
Instructions
- Stovetop Directions:
- In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the steak and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the steak with a slotted spoon and transfer to a separate plate. Add the remaining steak and cook until browned, then remove and transfer to a separate plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and potatoes, and continue sauteing for another 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients along with the cooked steak to the pot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, or until the steak and vegetables are all tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove the bay leaves when ready to serve. Serve the soup warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the steak and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the steak with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl of a large slow cooker.
- Add the remaining steak to the pan and cook until browned, then transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours until the steak and vegetables are all tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaves when ready to serve. Serve the soup warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This soup is fabulous!!!! I just finished putting everything in the crockpot and can’t wait until dinner. This is probably my 6 or 7th time making it since last January. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Thank you, Debbie — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Love this soup. So easy to make and such a crowd pleaser. We make in the crock pot, I assemble the night before and turn it on in the morning. Great week night meal and good enough for company too. Even my two year old can’t get enough.
Amazing! Your page is my go to pretty much every time I’m looking for something delicious to make. This satisfied my craving for something hearty and easy!
Thank you, Jess — we’re so glad you enjoy the blog! :)
OMG!! I made this and it was slamdigitti. I have been trying many dishes being a recently divorced man and It have been having all types of fun in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Haha! We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Rowan! :)
My bf and I just made this and it’s the BEST soup I’ve ever made. And I’ve made a lot! Followed it exactly to the recipe and I didn’t need anything extra, well I did add spinach at the end bc I love spinach, but the seasoning in this was perfect. Will be making this from now on. New favorite recipe! Thank you!!!!!
Awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! :)
I made this tonight, it was really really good! This is a keeper and I will be making this again!
We’re glad to hear that Marianne! :D
Have you or anyone here ever made this in the crockpot? If so, did you do everything the same?
Hi Rachel! We haven’t tried this in the crockpot, but you certainly could. We’d suggest browning your meat in a skillet first. Then add everything to the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. We hope you enjoy! :)
I just printed off this recipe. I get off early today so I’m going to make it. Can’t wait. Thank you
Awesome Bridget — we hope you enjoy! :)
This is currently in a giant stock pot on my stove. I made a double batch to freeze some. I’m glad to hear that others added things like corn and beans cuz we did too. Next time I’ll try adding spice to it. That sounds amazing!
Yay, we hope you love it! :D
One more add I would like to suggest. I have been using my mother-in-law recipe for years – very much like this one but with one added ingredient at the end: Chopped cabbage. and no potatoes as they do not normally freeze well
Oooh we think that sounds so yummy Cheryl, thanks for sharing! :)