Description
Hearty old-fashioned vegetable beef soup brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen, packed with tender meat and garden-fresh vegetables. Warm spoonful by spoonful, you’ll savor a classic recipe that wraps cold days in delicious, wholesome goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ lbs (0.68 kg) beef stew meat (chuck roast or stew beef), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups (946 ml) beef broth
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 2 cups (300 g) peeled and chopped potatoes
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) sliced carrots
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) chopped celery
- 1 cup (150 g) green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup (150 g) corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Generously season beef with salt and pepper. In a heated Dutch oven with olive oil, sear meat in batches until deeply caramelized, creating rich flavor layers. Transfer seared pieces to a holding plate.
- Aromatic Foundation: Saute diced onions until translucent and soft, then introduce minced garlic, allowing its fragrance to bloom briefly. Stir continuously to prevent burning.
- Liquid Integration: Reintroduce browned beef to the pot. Pour in diced tomatoes, beef broth, water, and tomato paste. Raise heat to generate a robust boil, creating a deeply flavored base.
- Vegetable Infusion: Incorporate potatoes, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer gently. Allow ingredients to tenderize and meld flavors for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Final Touch: Add green beans and corn during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Uncover to allow slight reduction and concentration of flavors. Remove bay leaf, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serving: Ladle steaming soup into bowls. Accompany with crusty artisan bread or crisp crackers for a comforting, hearty meal.
Notes
- Sear beef in smaller portions to ensure even caramelization and develop deep, rich flavor without overcrowding the pot.
- Add softer vegetables like green beans and corn later to prevent overcooking and maintain their crisp texture and vibrant color.
- Keep heat low and cover the pot to tenderize tough beef cuts, allowing collagen to break down and create melt-in-your-mouth meat.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper at the end of cooking to balance flavors perfectly, as ingredients release their own natural seasonings during long simmering.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg