Tender beef and flavorful veggies are the stars of this classic homemade vegetable beef soup. It’s an easy one-pot meal, just like Granny made it! Plus, it’s a great way to use up any veggies you have in the fridge!

bowl of vegetable beef soup with beef cube on spoon

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Granny has been making vegetable beef soup for as long as I can remember. This is a one pot soup that is easy and also a great way to use whatever vegetables you have in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

This vegetable beef soup works well with any type of eating plan you are on. You can make it Keto, Paleo, Whole30, or even WW. You can make it higher or lower fat depending on what makes the most sense for you.

When Granny makes it, she makes a huge pot of it at a time. She puts some in the freezer for another time and then will get several meals out of the rest.

The recipe I am giving you will easily serve four and you can double it to have leftovers.

I used one pound of meat and cooked it in a 4-quart pot. The vegetable amounts can be customized to the size of your pot and what vegetables you use.

When I make this soup, I like to use simple seasonings. Really the beef and vegetables provide most of the taste. You can get by with a little salt and pepper. Italian seasoning mix is also really good in it too.

Related: For another hearty soup recipe, try our Stovetop Beef Stew too!

bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup

Ingedients

These are the ingredients we used, but you’re welcome to make substitutions with your favorite veggies and/or cut of meat.

Canned vegetables:

Diced tomatoes
Beef broth

Fresh vegetables

Onion
Garlic
Celery
Carrots
Cabbage
Zucchini

Frozen Vegetables

Green Beans
Peas (I didn’t use these this time, but they are good in this soup)
Corn (I didn’t use corn either)

Seasonings

Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning

And of course…beef! See below for more tips on the different cuts of beef you can use for soup.

ingredients needed to make vegetable soup

Instructions

In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid or Dutch oven pot, heat up a couple Tablespoons of cooking oil, such as olive or avocado. When the oil is hot add beef cubes and brown, stirring occasionally.

browning beef cubes in dutch oven pot

Once cubes are browned or ground beef is cooked, add the diced onions and cook for about five minutes until the start to soften. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.

cooking beef cubes and diced onions in large pot

Add canned tomatoes and 1 cup of beef broth to the pot and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.

Add all the rest of the vegetables that you are using. If needed, add more beef broth so that all of the meet and vegetables are just about covered.

raw chopped veggies in pot to make vegetable soup

Simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

scooping a cube of beef out of vegetable soup

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Best Cut of Meat for Vegetable Beef Soup?

I made mine with some boneless short-rib beef that I cut into small cubes. That tasted amazing. You could also use any type of beef stew meat. If the pieces are big, you can cut them down into a smaller size to make them more soup-like.

Other options are flank steak, sirloin, or top round.

Granny often makes hers with ground beef. That’s how I grew up eating it. However, I really like the taste and texture of beef cubes.

How Do You Make Beef Tender in Soup?

A good cut of meat is your best way to start, but even something like chuck roast that starts out a little tougher can be wonderful in soup! The key is to make sure to cook it long enough.

We browned our beef first to get a nice texture on the outside, and then cooking it with the veggies and broth breaks it down more so that it is very tender.

What Kinds of Vegetables Can You Use in Vegetable Beef Soup?

For vegetables, I use a variety of canned, fresh, and frozen. I’ll share my favorites; but you can really use what you like. For example, I didn’t use frozen peas in mine, but they work really well in this soup. You could also use frozen corn.

I used frozen green beans, but you could use fresh or canned instead.

I also did not use peppers, but you could if that is a flavor you like.

So, there are lots of ways to make this soup, depending on what vegetables you like. Since I wanted this pot to be low carb, I stuck with low carb vegetables, but you could add cubed potatoes or sweet potatoes.

One vegetable that I always include is cabbage! To me that is my favorite part of the soup, so I add lots of chopped cabbage.

Can You Freeze Vegetable Beef Soup?

Absolutely! Granny always made a big batch so she could freeze some of the leftovers for later.

If you’re cooking all of it to freeze, you may want to undercook the veggies slightly. They’ll have the optimum texture that way when you reheat.

Always make sure soup is fully cooled before freezing.

Be sure to use a freezer bag or container and leave a little room for the liquid to expand when it freezes. The soup should last from 4-6 months.

To Thaw:

The best way to thaw is in the fridge. Simply move the container of soup from freezer to fridge the day before you want to enjoy it. Then when you’re ready to serve, heat it on the stovetop.

large pot of homemade vegetable beef soup

More Classic Soup Recipes

Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe (Printable Copy)

If you tried this recipe and loved it, please rate it!

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Tender beef and flavorful veggies are the stars of this classic homemade vegetable beef soup. It's an easy one-pot meal, just like Granny's!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, one pot, soup, vegetables

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 212kcal

Author Sara Garska

Cost $10

Equipment

4 Quart Soup Pot

Ingredients

1 pound beef stew, top round, ground, sirloin, or flank
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
28 oz. diced tomatoes 1 large can
2-4 cups beef broth
2 stalks celery sliced
2 carrots sliced
1/2 head cabbage chopped or thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini chopped
1 bag frozen green beans
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning If salted, use less salt

Instructions

In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat up 2 TB of oil such as olive or avocado. When hot add the beef cubes and brown.
Once cubes are browned or ground beef is cooked, add onions and cook for about five minutes until soft. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add canned tomatoes and 1 cup of beef broth to the pot and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Also add the seasonings.
Add all the rest of the vegetables that you are using and enough beef broth to cover the meat and vegetables.
Simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.