Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
My Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup recipe makes a pot full of soul-warming goodness. This hearty, satisfying soup is very versatile and a great option for lunch or dinner on a chilly evening.
Some recipes just feel like home, don’t they? And for me, a good old-fashioned vegetable beef soup is one of them. It’s the sort of thing that just makes you feel cozy no matter what the weather’s like outside.
A simple bowl of soup can fix all kinds of problems — help heal a broken heart, cure homesickness, and even make you forget a bad day at work. And there’s not much better than coming home to those fabulous aromas after a long, cold day.
This is by no means a fancy soup. It’s just straightforward, honest ingredients in a combination that’s very nearly perfect. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or just need a little comfort food for yourself, this vegetable beef soup has a way of making any meal feel like a chance to slow down and reset.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Beef, beef broth, vegetables
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s a classic that’s great for both cold and warm weather.
- Really easy to prepare and leave simmering.
- Super simple ingredients make it a breeze.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“I’m a little stunned. My husband just told me that this soup is the best beef vegetable soup he has ever tasted. He comes from a family very skilled in the kitchen, especially with seasoning. He’s pretty critical … This is far and away the best.”
— Jamie
Ingredient Notes
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- Beef – Choose from beef stew meat, short ribs, oxtails, or even a piece of chuck roast. If using short ribs, cut the meat from the bones before cooking. If using oxtails, leave them whole and remove the bones from the meat before serving.
- Onion, Celery, Potatoes, and Carrots – The fresh vegetables you’ll add to the soup.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – Be sure to add the juice along with the canned tomatoes.
- Canned Cut Green Beans – I always add these to vegetable soup and include the liquid from the can with them.
- Beef Broth or Stock – Beef broth or stock serves to enrich and enhance the beefy flavor of the soup. If you don’t have canned, you can always use one or two bouillon cubes.
- Mustard Seed and Celery Seed – I’ve always added these spices to my old fashioned vegetable beef soup for a little subtle flavor in the background. If you don’t have them on hand, don’t worry. Just leave them out.
- Salt and Pepper – Add to taste. Keep in mind that it takes a good bit of salt to season this quantity of soup.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How I Make Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
- Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a very large dutch oven. Add the beef and cook until browned.
👉 PRO TIP: If using short ribs, you can also add the bones to brown with the meat for a little extra flavor. Just remember to remove them before serving. If using oxtails, leave them whole and remove the meat from the bones before serving.
- Add the onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and green beans.
- Add the beef broth and enough water to cover all the vegetables. Add the mustard seed, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour or longer.
Recipe Options
It’s super easy to adjust this recipe using whatever your family likes. If you like peas, add them! If you want some turnips in your soup, then add those. Canned corn, baby lima beans, and sliced fresh or frozen okra are all tasty additions. The one thing I always include is at least one can of diced tomatoes with their juice.
You can also change the seasonings. Sometimes, I’ll add some dried thyme or a couple of bay leaves. Mixed Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence are also really good options.
How to Serve
This soup is so good with some garlic bread or, my favorite, cheese toast on pumpernickel. Or just plain old saltine crackers.
How to Store
Allow the soup to cool completely and then store the leftovers in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It may also be frozen for up to three months.
Crockpot Method
To make slow cooker vegetable beef soup, brown the beef and then transfer it along with all the remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low.
More Recipes You’ll Like
Browse all my soup and stew recipes!
Questions About Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
If you’d like a thicker soup, you can either mash some of the potatoes and stir them back into the pot or make a slurry of 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch and slowly stir it into the boiling soup.
This soup is very flexible. Corn, peas, lima beans, or even cabbage make great additions. Just add heartier veggies early in cooking and more delicate ones toward the end.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
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Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef stew beef, oxtails, short ribs
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery roughly chopped
- 4 cups potatoes in bite-size pieces
- 1 cup carrot slices
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with their juice
- 14.5 ounces canned cut green beans with their juice
- 1 quart beef broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces (if using oxtails leave them whole and remove the meat from the bones before serving). Heat the oil in a very large dutch oven. Add the beef and cook until browned.
- Add the onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and green beans. Add the beef broth and enough water to cover all the vegetables.
- Add the mustard seed, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour or longer.
Notes
- Allow the soup to cool completely and then store the leftovers in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It may also be frozen for up to three months.
- To make in the slow cooker, brown the beef and then transfer it along with all the remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on September 14, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had beef stew — this one looks fabulous.
The step-by-step photos are very helpful and make the recipe so appealing. I’m going to work this recipe into my menu plan for next week. Thanks for sharing.
Judi
I’m a little stunned. My husband just told me that this soup is the best beef vegetable soup he has ever tasted. He comes from a family very skilled in the kitchen, especially with seasoning. He’s pretty critical and I just wish he would learn to cook and stop with his complaining.
I made the soup exactly as instructed. The only place I veered off was cooking the stew beef. I didn’t think it would tenderize in an hour so I boiled it for a while before I added it to the other ingredients.
It seems like beef vegetable soup is hard to come by these days and it’s so delicious. This is far and away the best.
Thank you very much, Jamie! I’m so glad your husband enjoyed the soup.
Yum!! This actually makes me look forward to chilly weather because this is the perfect dish for cold nights on the couch :)
OMG this looks good!
I just love home made soups, with nice crusty bread! This is very close to my recipe! I will have to try it!
sprucehillblog.com
I’m with you on having a hankering for a good fall stew, even though our Florida weather is still in the low 90s and likely to remain there for months to come. We don’t even get one of your GA “teases” until November. Love your tip about adding mustard and celery seed and will try it in my next pot of veggie soup.
This looks like the perfect recipe for fall!
Hi !! I stumbled over here from Happier than a Pig In Mud’s barnyard bash! I thought it was a comment I had left and didn’t remember!! Great name you got there!! The soup looks heavenly!! I just wish we could get some cooler weather in Texas so I can start cooking up a batch! I hope you will Hop over and check out my blog!! http://www.never-enough-thyme-creations.blogspot.com
I’m glad you are able to use oxtail successfully. I’ve given up, too much fat to drain off LOL This soup looks marvelous!
I cant wait for Fall weather and good soups like this!
I sure do enjoy checking out your recipes. We seem to have learned how to cook in the same area of the country. I haven’t shown them to Tommy yet, he might make me cook more. Anyway, I enjoy your blog and your pictures are great. Keep up the good work. You have a real talent for this.
Thank you so much, Sandra! And, yes, I imagine we did learn to cook in about the same area ;-)