There are so many reasons to love this simple vegetable beef soup recipe. It’s made on the stovetop, all in one pot, using pantry staples that are easy to find. It’s a family-friendly, nourishing meal that can be made ahead, and it makes enough for leftovers. Beyond all of that, this soup is comforting, hearty, and filling. It’s the kind of dependable recipe you can come back to again and again.
Ingredient Notes
- Canned ingredients: Beef broth, tomato juice, and tomatoes are all regular grocery store items. Adjust brands or amounts to suit your family’s tastes.
- Beef: Chuck roast or stew meat both work well and cook up tender.
- Vegetables: Bagged shredded carrots keep prep simple. The only chopping required is the onion.
- Liquid: The soup base is made with beef broth and tomato juice.
- Pasta: Small pasta shapes work best. Orzo, ditalini, pastina, or small elbows are ideal.
- Seasonings: Bay leaf or thyme, salt, pepper, and celery salt add flavor without overpowering the soup.
Substitutions
- Any vegetables can be added. Use what you have on hand, and adjust the ingredients according to your family’s tastes.
- Homemade beef broth (see below), low sodium beef broth, beef stock, or bone broth can be used in place of the regular beef broth.
- An equal amount of instant barley can be used as a substitute for the pasta. Chopped potatoes can also be used.
- The tomato juice can be swapped out with V8 Juice. Another tasty addition, left in a comment by a reader, is a can of condensed tomato soup.
How to Make
- Put olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.
- Add onion and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add stew meat, salt and pepper.
- Cook until meat is nicely browned, and onions are beginning to turn clear.
- Add beef broth and tomato juice.
- Add remaining ingredients except the pasta.
- Bring to a boil and then add the pasta.
- Lower heat and gently boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let sit on the stovetop for 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf or sprig of thyme before serving.
Cooking Tip
When you have this vegetable beef soup assembled and on the stove, the pasta looks very small. Don’t be tempted to add more. It somehow takes on a life of its own! If the pasta expands and makes the soup too thick, just add more beef broth or tomato juice.
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Variations
- Method 1: use regular stew meat from the meat counter. This is the method used in the recipe card and is ideal when time is limited.
- Method 2: for a richer soup, start with a whole chuck roast. The day before serving, cook a 3-pound chuck roast in the oven using this pot roast recipe. Refrigerate the roast and broth in the pan overnight. When ready to make the soup, cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Skim the fat from the chilled broth, strain it into a 4-cup measuring container, and use both the meat and broth in the soup for deeper flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Easy Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots (shredded, firmly packed)
- 3 lbs. stew meat
- 32 oz. tomato juice
- 32 oz. beef broth
- 1 can Campbell’s Beef Consomme
- 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 12 oz. bag frozen corn
- 12 oz. bag frozen green beans
- 1 bay leaf or fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 3/4 cup tiny pasta (stars, ditalini, or orzo)
Instructions
- Put olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.
- Add onion and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add stew meat, salt and pepper.
- Cook until meat is nicely browned, and onions are beginning to turn clear.
- Add beef broth and tomato juice.
- Add remaining ingredients except the pasta.
- Bring to a boil and then add the pasta.
- Lower heat and gently boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let sit on the stovetop for 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf or sprig of thyme before serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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This is fabulous! I’ve made it twice so far :) Made it once with barley vs pasta. Neighbors asked when I was making it again. They loved it so much. Definitely a do-over ❤️
Can this soup recipe be made meatless and still be tasty as a vegetarian option?
Hi Janet…to be honest, I don’t think so. The good taste comes not necessarily from the meat, but from the broth and consommé. To make it truly vegetarian, and I’m not an expert, you would have to leave those ingredients out too. If you just want to eliminate the meat, but still use the broth and consommé, that would still be delicious.
I made this soup for a friend who is recovering from knee replacement surgery. It is delicious and he loved it. It was so easy and tasty! A perfect, hearty soup for January.
I made this for dinner last night after a day of errands and greatly appreciated the ease this recipe came together with very tasty results. I did use small red potatoes (cut into quarters) rather than pasta and simmered for an extra hour because we had time. My husband said it was very yummy and I thought so, too. Thank you!
I use leftover pot roast in my vegetable beef soup, along with
V-8 juice and some chopped cabbage. Sometimes I’ll use barley instead of rice, pasta or potatoes. My family loves homemade soup! Great comfort food!
Thought I would post another idea for the broth instead of plain tomato juice. I use V-8 juice and it adds a great flavor. I use it in place of tomato juice. I make this quite often on cooler days which are coming to an end, sadly. We’re able to get a few meals out of it since we’re empty nesters.
I made this vegetable soup for dinner tonight. It is delicious! I followed the directions exactly as stated. Thanks, Ann, for another easy and tasty recipe. This is your second recipe I’ve tried. The first was the potato soup. You might turn me into a cook after all!
Thanks so much for the soup recipes! We’ve had some cooler days this week in Dallas, so the timing was perfect.
Nice fall soup recipe! I’m vegetarian and can totally make this! I always sauté my vegetables in broth with no need of the extra fat in the oil also! Thanks!
Ann,
I will be making this soup this week and adding a little cabbage for my family. Thanks for blogging. Your ideas are appreciated.
I will definitely try your soup and, I love that it can be frozen. I have no doubt it will hit the spot on a chilly day and will make for a quick meal. Thanks. Ann.
Looks delicious! One secret ingredient I use in my tomato based soups is a can of Campbells tomato soup. My cabbage soup, cabbage rolls and vegetable soup have a rich sweet tomato flavor. I use a can of tomato juice just like you too…its the best! Thanks for sharing…😉
Made this on Sunday, yummy!