Name: Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 1 small onion, diced; 2 large celery stalks, diced; 4 large garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2½ cups beef broth, plus more as needed; 2 cups tomato-vegetable juice cocktail; 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch cubes; 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as green beans, corn, peas, and carrots, unthawed; ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

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Vegetable beef soup with stew meat, red potatoes, and mixed vegetables in a white bowl.

Vegetable beef soup is a tomato-based soup with tender stew meat, potatoes, and mixed vegetables. This version makes 6 generous servings with red potatoes, tomato-vegetable juice, thyme, and a lightly thickened broth. Make it on the stovetop in about 2-2½ hours of cooking, or follow the Beautiful 10-in-1 multi-cooker directions below.

Browning the beef in two batches builds the base of this soup. The potatoes go in after the beef is nearly tender on the stove, and the frozen vegetables wait until the end. That little bit of sequencing gives each ingredient the time it needs.

For a ground-beef supper, try Hamburger Soup. Here, larger pieces of stew meat need a longer, gentler simmer. If you're after a thicker, spoon-coating dinner, Classic Beef Stew is another good choice.

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Beef stew meat, six red potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, broth, vegetable juice, tomatoes, herbs, and mixed vegetables.

Ingredients You'll Need

Beef stew meat - cut into 1½-inch pieces.
Kosher salt - season lightly, then adjust at the end.
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste.
Vegetable oil - divided between two browning batches.
Onion - diced.
Celery - diced.
Garlic cloves - minced.
Tomato paste - cooked briefly with the aromatics.
All-purpose flour - lightly thickens the broth.
Beef broth - have extra available for adjusting the liquid.
Tomato-vegetable juice cocktail - part of the tomato-rich soup base.
Diced tomatoes - canned, with their juices.
Fresh thyme - remove the stems before serving.
Red potatoes - scrubbed; wait to cut them until shortly before they go into the stovetop soup.
Frozen mixed vegetables - green beans, corn, peas, and carrots.
Fresh parsley - stirred in at the end, with more for serving.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Trimmed, cubed chuck roast can replace packaged stew meat, and Yukon Gold potatoes can replace red potatoes. Use ¾ teaspoon dried thyme in place of the fresh thyme. For a brothier soup, omit the flour.

Tools That Make It Easier

Large Dutch oven with lid (stovetop method)
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Bowl for browned beef and juices
Tongs
Wooden or silicone spoon
Can opener
Ladle
White Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker (slow cooker alternative)
Shallow airtight containers for leftovers (optional)

How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup

Start with dry, lightly seasoned beef, diced onion and celery, and minced garlic. Leave the potatoes whole until you're ready to add them; the recipe card gives every measurement and the complete method.

1. Brown the beef in batches

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat, then brown half the beef on two sides for about 5-6 minutes total and transfer it to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon oil and beef, saving the collected juices.

Irregular pieces of stew beef browning in a red Dutch oven.

2. Build the tomato-rich base

Cook the onion and celery over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute; stir in the flour for 1-2 minutes. Gradually stir in ½ cup of the measured broth until smooth, scrape up the browned bits, then slowly add the remaining broth, juice, tomatoes, beef, juices, and thyme.

Onion and celery in a smooth tomato paste and flour soup base.

3. Simmer, then add the vegetables

Cover and gently simmer for 75-105 minutes, until the beef is nearly fork-tender; add the ¾-inch potato cubes and extra broth as needed, then cover and cook 20-25 minutes. Stir in the frozen vegetables and simmer 8-12 minutes more, until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the beef separates easily with a fork.

Beef and red potatoes mostly submerged in tomato-rich soup broth.

4. Finish with parsley

Remove the thyme stems and stir in the parsley. Taste for salt and pepper, thin with extra broth if desired, and serve hot with more parsley.

Parsley stirred into finished vegetable beef soup in a red Dutch oven.

Overhead view of vegetable beef soup with potatoes, tender beef, and parsley.

Using the Beautiful 10-in-1 Multi-Cooker

The slow cooker option uses the same ingredients, with the potatoes added before slow cooking. Allow 7-9 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH, plus browning and finishing; the frozen vegetables need a separate final 20-30 minutes on HIGH.

Select SEAR/SAUTÉ at 350°F and set the timer for 30 minutes with the lid off. Brown the beef in two batches, then cook the onion, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and flour in the insert; gradually add ½ cup measured broth to make a smooth base, then the remaining broth.

Cancel browning before adding the vegetable juice, tomatoes, thyme, potatoes, and beef with its juices. Tuck the potatoes beneath the beef into the liquid, cover, and select SLOW COOK: LO for 8 hours or HI for 4 hours, extending within the tested ranges as needed for tenderness. Add the frozen vegetables only for the final HIGH finish, then remove thyme stems and stir in parsley. The full appliance sequence is in the recipe card.

A Few Things That Make This Soup Better

Give the beef room. Crowding the pot makes it harder to brown the pieces; keep the two-batch method.
Make the flour smooth first. Start with just ½ cup of the measured broth, stirring until no dry flour remains before adding the rest.
Use tenderness as the finish line. If the beef is still firm at the end of the initial simmer, give it more time before the potatoes go in.
Reach the bottom when stirring. The lightly thickened soup can catch on the pot, so stir along the bottom occasionally.
Season after tasting. Beef broth and vegetable juice can vary considerably in saltiness.

Using Fresh Vegetables

Fresh vegetables work when you add them according to how long they need to cook. On the stove, add thinly sliced carrots and cut green beans with the potatoes, then fresh corn and peas during the final 5-10 minutes. In the slow cooker, add carrots with the potatoes, green beans during the last hour, and corn and peas during the final 20-30 minutes.

Close view of tender beef and vegetables in tomato-rich soup broth.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Refrigerate the soup in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours and use it within 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or microwave individual portions until heated through; add a splash of broth if the soup needs loosening.

To freeze, leave room for expansion in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The potatoes may soften after freezing and thawing.

What to Serve with Vegetable Beef Soup

Cornbread, biscuits, butter crackers, or crusty bread make good companions for the tomato broth. Try Southern Buttermilk Cornbread, Homemade Yeast Rolls, or a crisp Fresh Garden Salad to round out supper.

Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

Homemade Yeast Rolls

Fresh Garden Salad

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Recipe

Vegetable Beef Soup

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Vegetable beef soup with fork-tender stew meat, red potatoes, and mixed vegetables in a tomato-rich broth. Includes stovetop and Beautiful multi-cooker directions.

Author: Jennifer Locklin
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 6 generous servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups beef broth, plus more as needed
2 cups tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch cubes
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as green beans, corn, peas, and carrots, unthawed
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

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Instructions

Prep

Dice the onion and celery and mince the garlic. Wait to cut the potatoes until shortly before adding them to the soup.
Pat the beef dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Brown the Beef

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add half the beef, leaving space between the pieces. Brown on two sides, about 5-6 minutes total, then transfer to a bowl.
Repeat with the remaining oil and beef. Reserve any juices that collect in the bowl.

Build the Soup Base

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and celery to the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables. Cook, stirring continuously, for 1-2 minutes, until no dry flour remains.
Gradually stir in ½ cup of the measured broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Continue stirring until the flour is smoothly incorporated.
Slowly add the remaining broth, followed by the vegetable juice and undrained tomatoes. Return the beef and its juices to the pot and add the thyme.

Simmer

Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 75-105 minutes, stirring occasionally along the bottom to prevent sticking, until the beef is nearly fork-tender. Allow additional time if the meat remains firm.
Cut the potatoes into ¾-inch cubes and add them to the pot. Pour in additional broth if necessary to keep the potatoes mostly submerged.
Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are almost tender.
Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables. Continue simmering for 8-12 minutes, until the vegetables and potatoes are tender and the beef separates easily with a fork.

Finish and Serve

Remove the thyme stems and stir in the parsley.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Thin with additional broth if desired.
Serve hot, garnished with extra parsley.

Slow Cooker Option: Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker Instructions

Select SEAR/SAUTÉ, set the temperature to 350°F, and set the timer for 30 minutes. Leave the lid off.
Add 1 tablespoon oil and brown half the seasoned beef for about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
Add the onion and celery to the insert. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes, until evenly incorporated.
Slowly add ½ cup of the measured broth, stirring with a wooden or silicone utensil to loosen the browned bits and create a smooth mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining broth.
Cancel the browning function. Add the vegetable juice, tomatoes, thyme, cubed potatoes, and beef with its collected juices. Arrange the potatoes beneath the beef and into the liquid as much as possible.
Cover and select SLOW COOK. Set to LO for 8 hours or HI for 4 hours. Cook until the beef and potatoes are tender, allowing approximately 7-9 hours on LO or 4-5 hours on HI. Extend the cooking time if necessary.
Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables. Select SLOW COOK, HI, cover, and cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are hot and tender.
Remove the thyme stems and stir in the parsley. Adjust the seasoning and add more broth if needed before serving.

Notes

Substitutions
Substitute trimmed, cubed chuck roast for packaged stew meat.
Use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of red potatoes.
Replace the fresh thyme with ¾ teaspoon dried thyme.
For a brothier soup, omit the flour.

Using Fresh Vegetables
For the stovetop method, add thinly sliced fresh carrots and cut green beans with the potatoes. Add fresh corn and peas during the final 5-10 minutes.
For the slow cooker method, add fresh carrots with the potatoes, green beans during the last hour, and corn and peas during the final 20-30 minutes.

Consistency and Seasoning
The flour lightly thickens the broth. Stir the stovetop soup occasionally, reaching the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.
Add broth as needed during cooking or reheating to adjust the consistency.
Taste before adding more salt, since beef broth and vegetable juice vary in sodium content.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings
Serve with cornbread, biscuits, butter crackers, or crusty bread.
Pair with a green salad or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Storage
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store covered for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or microwave individual portions until heated through. Add a splash of broth if needed.

Freezing
Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving space for expansion.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Potatoes may soften after freezing and thawing.

Stovetop cook time: about 2-2½ hours. Total with prep: about 2 hours 20 minutes-2 hours 50 minutes. Numeric card fields use the upper end of the tested stovetop range. Slow cooker: 7-9 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH, plus browning and the final 20-30 minutes for vegetables.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Tools That Make It Easier