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This Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup is chock full of veggies, given a flavor boost from roasted garlic, and super hearty with orzo and Parmesan. Plus it’s just plain delicious! Perfect for dinner with leftovers doled out into thermoses for a homemade, back-to-school hot lunch.

There are many ways to make Beef and Vegetable Soup. Cooking on the stovetop, in a crockpot or instant pot, and by shaking up the recipe with your favorite vegetables!

Vegetable Beef Soup in a white bowl on a checkered napkin.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Expert Tips
3 Frequently Asked Questions
4 You May Also Like:
5 Vegetable Beef Soup

Why You Must Make

  • It’s a tasty healthier meal for January after all the decadent desserts, marbled beef, and buttered, well, buttered everything over the holidays. It’s the perfect remedy!
  • A piping hot bowl of soup is ideal when there is snow, ice, and bone-chilling temperatures!
  • This recipe makes a decent-sized batch and like my Chili with Black Beans, it only gets better as it sits overnight in the fridge. Leftovers are terrific for lunch.  Baked Potato Soup is another hearty favorite.

Expert Tips

This vegetable beef soup recipe can easily be adapted by leaving out the beef, altering the vegetables, or changing up the pasta.  Bill would prefer I eliminate the okra next time (and every time).

  • Feel free to add green beans, black beans, or any of your favorites.
  • I often add orzo, but any small pasta is nice. Or even rice.
  • The roasted garlic gives an amazing depth of flavor but sauteing some minced garlic with the onions, carrots, and celery is another option. 
  • Topping the soup with some grated Parmesan is a nice finishing touch. If you happen to have a rind of Parmesano Reggiano, toss that in the pot while cooking. It will provide a certain je ne sais quoi. I like to store a rind or two in the freezer just to add to soups.
  • I make this 0n the stovetop, but you can saute the beef, onions, carrots, and celery and add those and the rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker and let it cook all day long. Even an Instant Pot will work, but you may have to adjust the recipe depending on the size of your appliance.
Two bowls of Vegetable Beef Soup in white soup bowls on a green and white checked napkin.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Add Flavor to Beef Soup?

If your soup is bland, there are a few things you can try. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight as this allows the flavors to really infuse into the soup.  Taste it again. Does it need more salt? A  squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor? You can add soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce which provides umami, the 5th sense of taste.

If you’re remaking a recipe, make sure you add aromatics like garlic and onions. Roast your vegetables to concentrate their flavor. Roast your garlic like in this recipe. Add herbs. And if you have a leftover Parmesan rind, add it to the pot while your soup simmers. It will infuse some delicious saltiness and help thicken the soup a wee bit.

How Do You Thicken Vegetable Soup?

To thicken a soup, you can puree some of the cooked, softened vegetables and add them back into the soup. Alternatively, you can make a slurry of flour and some of the broth and whisk that into the soup. Once it boils, the soup will thicken a bit. Try 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in 1/4 cup of liquid.

Make your version of beef & vegetable soup perfect for your family’s tastes. It’s the perfect meal on a chilly night.

Overhead view of two bowls of vegetable beef soup.

You May Also Like:

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Vegetable Beef Soup | A healthy soup chock full of vegetables and lean beef
The Recipe:

Vegetable Beef Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 6 servings

Adapted from a recipe by my friend, Robin

Ingredients

  • 1 whole head of garlic, roasted (cut top of head off, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 375º for 35-45 minutes)
  • 1 pound lean beef, cut into small pieces (I use beef tenderloin, but even cooked and drained ground beef will work)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 large russet potato, diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen sliced okra
  • 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups V8 Juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup dried orzo, cooked in salted water and drained, optional
  • Parmesan, to serve

Instructions

  1. Saute beef in olive oil till browned. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook till soft.
  2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except pasta.
  3. Squeeze the roasted garlic head to release all the individual cloves.
  4. Stir and bring to a simmer for about an hour or till the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked.
  5. Before serving, add cooked orzo (if using), stir and allow to cook until warm.
  6. Serve with Parmesan.

Notes

May eliminate beef and substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 549Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 1198mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 10gSugar: 13gProtein: 43g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Soups