Description
Hearty old-fashioned vegetable beef soup brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen, packed with tender meat and seasonal vegetables. Warm spoons of this classic stew deliver pure nostalgia and nourishment you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) beef stew meat (chuck roast or stew beef), cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetables:
- 2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
- 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
- 1 ½ cups chopped celery
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 (15 ounces / 425 grams) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Additional Ingredients:
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, generously seasoning beef cubes with salt and pepper.
- Sear beef pieces in batches until a rich, golden-brown crust develops, then transfer to a holding plate.
- Introduce chopped onions to the pot, sautéing until they become translucent and slightly softened, then briefly toast minced garlic for enhanced aromatic depth.
- Reintroduce seared beef into the pot, then pour in diced tomatoes, beef broth, water, and tomato paste, stirring to combine and create a robust base.
- Elevate heat to bring the liquid to a vigorous boil, then incorporate diced potatoes, sliced carrots, chopped celery, fresh thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf.
- Reduce heat, cover the pot, and allow the soup to gently simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, creating a tender environment for the beef and vegetables to meld flavors.
- Introduce green beans and corn kernels during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking, allowing them to become tender yet retain a slight crisp texture.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste the soup, and fine-tune seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle the hearty soup into warm bowls and serve alongside crusty bread or crisp crackers for a comforting meal.
Notes
- Choose chuck roast or stew meat for maximum tenderness and rich flavor when browning beef.
- Allow extra cooking time if using tougher meat cuts to ensure meat becomes meltingly soft and easily shreddable.
- Enhance soup’s depth by deglazing pot with red wine or splash of Worcestershire sauce after browning beef, capturing all delicious browned bits.
- Customize vegetable mix by using seasonal or frozen vegetables, keeping proportions similar for balanced texture and nutrition.
- Make soup freezer-friendly by cooling completely before storing in airtight containers for up to 3 months, which helps develop even richer flavors.
- Boost protein and create gluten-free version by substituting barley or adding quinoa instead of traditional crackers for serving.
- Create low-sodium option by using homemade beef stock or reducing store-bought broth, controlling salt levels without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 455
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg