Vegetable Beef Soup
This hearty Vegetable Beef Soup is packed with tender chunks of beef and fresh veggies, all simmered in a deeply flavorful, herb-infused broth. My family absolutely love it, we crave it multiple times a week. I always make an extra batch and freeze it, so I have a warm, comforting bowl ready whenever I need it.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds of precooked or raw strip roast
- 2 peeled small-diced yellow onions
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine, optional
- 16 cups beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 recipe for beurre manie
- 4 peeled and sliced carrots
- 4 sliced ribs of celery
- 3 small peeled and sliced parsnips, about ¾ cup
- 2 peeled large diced russet potatoes
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 pound dry ditalini pasta
- 1 pint thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 ½ cups green peas
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce to taste
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Next, in a large rondeau or pot add in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Place the cut of beef, gently season with salt, and leave it untouched for 3 to 4 minutes. Then sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes or until well browned on all sides.
- Place the beef on a plate, and add the onions to the pot, gently season with salt, and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring or until well browned and tender.
- Stir in the garlic and cook it until fragrant, which only takes 30 to 45 seconds.
- Mix in the tomato paste and pince by cooking it for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes rust-like in color.
- Deglaze with red wine and cook until it is almost completely absorbed into the paste and onions.
- Pour in the stock, add the beef, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover it, turn the heat down to low to medium, and cook for 60 to 75 minutes or until the beef is extremely tender.
- In the meantime, make the beurre manie and prep the vegetables.
- Once the beef is cooked, stir in the beurre manie until it thickens. It should be like a thinner gravy. Not too thick, and not too thin, but just have enough viscosity to coat the back of a spoon or nappe.
- Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, potatoes, green beans, crushed tomatoes, and corn, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes over low to medium heat or just until the veggies are done cooking.
- While cooking, boil the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Strain under cold water, toss it with oil and keep it in a separate container until it’s ready to be used.
- In a large frying pan over high heat, add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and once it begins to smoke lightly, add in the mushrooms, gently season with salt, and leave them untouched for 4 minutes.
- Saute the mushrooms for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, peas, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce to the soup and combine.
- Serve the soup in a bowl and add the desired amount of pre-cooked pasta. Garnish with optional finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and minced parsley.
Notes
My #1 tip for making my vegetable beef soup extra rich and flavorful is to always cook the tomato paste before adding the broth. I used to just toss it in, but once I started cooking it first, I noticed how it deepened the umami flavor and added a subtle, balanced acidity to the soup.
- Big Batch Cooking: I make this soup in a 3-gallon pot, so there's plenty to go around, perfect for feeding a crowd or stocking up for later.
- Add More Protein: If you love beans in your soup, drained canned kidney beans make a great addition.
- Thickening Options: If you like a thicker broth, try using a roux or a slurry.
- Swap the Wine: For a deeper, malty richness, I sometimes swap the wine for a dark beer like Stout or Porter.
- No Alcohol? No Problem! If you don’t cook with alcohol, feel free to skip it.
- Potato Choices: Golden Yukon or red potatoes work great in this soup.
- Corn Options: Fresh, canned, or frozen corn all work, so use whatever you have available for a touch of sweetness and texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 38gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 900mgPotassium: 1967mgFiber: 9gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 4076IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 140mgIron: 6mg