Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup for Cold Nights: Rich, Chunky, and Hug-in-a-Bowl Good
This homemade vegetable beef soup is the ultimate cold-night comfort food: tender beef chuck, hearty vegetables, and a rich, savory broth that tastes like it simmered all day. A quick 20 minutes of prep and the pot does the rest — perfect for cozy family dinners and meal prep.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Heavy Stockpot (6-8 quarts)
- Wooden Spoon
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with their juice
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef in a single layer and let it brown undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef and oil.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook 6-8 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it deepens in color.
- Pour in about 1 cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add remaining broth, diced tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, and the browned beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
- Stir in potatoes and green beans. Cover and simmer for another 25 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir in frozen corn and peas. Heat through for about 5 minutes until peas are bright green.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let the soup rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Storage: Keep in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days — the flavor gets even better overnight. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Slow Cooker: Brown the beef and sauté the aromatics on the stove first, then transfer everything except corn and peas to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Add corn and peas in the last 30 minutes.
Instant Pot: Use sauté mode to brown beef and cook aromatics. Add broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes, natural release 15 minutes. Then sauté with potatoes, green beans, corn, and peas for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Make it paleo: Swap potatoes for extra green beans or diced turnips.
Add a spicy kick: Include a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo with a teaspoon of the sauce when adding the tomatoes.