Be sure to try my French Onion and Italian Wedding Soup recipes next!
Beef Vegetable Soup
This Beef Vegetable Soup is TRULY a no-fail recipe. My favorite part about it, believe it or not, is the lack of starchy ingredients. (Allow me to explain.) What this means, is that you can refrigerate or freeze leftovers without worrying that potatoes will get mushy or that pasta, rice, or barley will soak up all of the broth. I love to serve a hearty starch on the side, like mashed potatoes or biscuits. I use ALL frozen vegetables so that I don’t have to worry about those getting mushy either, you just add them at the end before serving! This way, you’re free to let the soup simmer away, without time being an issue. And don’t get me started on the meat seasoning. This is about 600 notches above your regular ol’ salt and pepper. So let’s get started. First, the meat options:
Best Cuts of Meat to Use
Sirloin and Tenderloin Roasts are pricier but more tender, which requires less cooking time to render down than tougher cuts of meat. (Ideal for stove top cooking.) Chuck Roast, Rump Roast, and Bottom Rounds are more economical cuts that render down nicely if cooked low and slow. The best option is Chuck, then Rump, then Bottom Round. (This also works fine for the stove top if you have sufficient time to cook it low and slow for several hours.) You may also have the option to buy packaged stew meat that’s already cubed. While this also will work, I prefer to purchase it whole so that I can choose the cut I want. Stew meat isn’t always clearly labeled as to what cut it’s from. (But it’s almost always a tougher cut that requires slow cooking.)
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities, full instructions, and Crock Pot Method. Season and sear the meat on each side until just browned on the outside, leave the middle red and cold. Transfer to a plate. Deglaze the pan with red wine and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid reduce by half.
Add butter and onions and soften for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add browned beef, rosemary, bay leaves, sage, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and beef bouillon. Cover and leave a small crack for steam to escape. Simmer gently for 2 hours.
Bring to a boil and add cornstarch + cold water mixture. Reduce heat and add frozen vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf + rosemary stem. If desired, swirl in 2 tablespoons cold butter for a smooth, velvety finish. Serve with Mashed Potatoes or Biscuits.
Adding Potatoes
Unlike my Beef Stew recipe, this soup doesn’t have potatoes. (I like to serve it over mashed potatoes instead!) But if preferred, you can certainly add potatoes to this soup:
Stove Top Method: Cook the soup for 1.5 hours, then add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce back down to a light simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Crock Pot Method: Potatoes can be added right at the beginning with the rest of the ingredients.
How to Thicken Beef Vegetable Soup
To thicken this stew, we use a slurry (cornstarch + cold water), and mix into boiling liquid on the stove top, or over high heat in the Crock Pot, then we reduce the heat back down.
Pro Tips
Wine Options and Substitutes: High-quality Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot works as well in this recipe. If preferred, beef or chicken broth can be used along with 2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar. The acidity from the vinegar helps render down the meat. Adding Mushrooms: To add mushrooms, cook them separately to release some of the water, concentrate their flavor, and give them a nice golden color. Remove them and only add them back at the end when the soup is finished. This lets them retain their color, texture, and flavor. Season the meat right before you’re ready to sear it. Once the salt hits the surface of the meat, it will start to extract moisture. So cooking it right away will prevent it from becoming dry.
Make Ahead Method
Follow the recipe up until step 9. Store the combined ingredients in the fridge for up to 2 days, then proceed as outlined.
What to Serve This With
Homemade Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk Biscuits (You can make these even without buttermilk!) Cheddar Bay Biscuits Corn Casserole Garlic Bread with Cheese
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
4.5 Quart Deep Pan– The perfect size for this recipe! Slow Cooker– This is the one I have, it lets you sear meat in the crock on the stovetop, and automatically switches to warm when the time is up. Kitchen Tongs– Makes it easy to handle the meat when searing. Kitchen Scale– Perfect for weighing the meat if needed. Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings. Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them. Silicone Spatula– I use these every time I cook. Gravy Master -To give the sauce a darker color. (You can find this at the grocery store.)
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