This Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup is made with tender chunks of beef and a rich broth filled with perfectly cooked vegetables for the ultimate comforting soup.

Bowl of vegetable Beef Soup in white bowl.

Why This is the Best Recipe

Vegetable Beef Soup can be prepared in a million different ways, but my recipe for Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup is the absolute best for two reasons.

The Flavor. The soup is richly flavored with red wine, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and horseradish. The wine adds depth to the soup, the seasonings keep your palate intrigued, and the horseradish gives a subtle flavor to the soup while also helping to tenderize the beef.
The Cooking Method for the Vegetables. I add the vegetables to the soup in stages. It sounds complicated, but it is just as easy as dumping, stirring, and simmering. This method prevents overcooked, soggy vegetables and gives the soup a fresher taste.

Bottom line, this is the ONLY recipe you need to make a Vegetable Beef Soup that is hearty, flavorful, comforting, and most importantly, enjoyed by all.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Vegetable Beef Soup on counter.

Stew Meat: You can either use a package labeled stew meat, or a chuck or round roast and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Red Wine: Red wine adds the most incredible depth of flavor to this soup. Select a good-quality dry red wine, such as a Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet, that is suitable for drinking. If you don't care for wine, feel free to use additional beef broth in place of the wine.
Diced Tomatoes: If your family does not care for the texture of diced tomatoes, use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes in their place.
Potatoes: I prefer Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes for this soup. However red or russet potatoes can be used as well. I would highly recommend peeling the potatoes if using russet potatoes. It is not necessary to peel red or yellow potatoes unless desired.
Vegetables: This recipe calls for adding peas, carrots, and green beans to the soup. Feel free to also add in corn or lima beans if desired. For the green beans, use fresh trimmed green beans or frozen chopped green beans.
Horseradish: This may sound like an odd ingredient, but horseradish takes this soup above all other recipes for Beef and Vegetable Soup. It adds flavor and helps to tenderize the meat. Be sure to use prepared horseradish NOT horseradish sauce.

How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed stock pan over high heat. While the oil is heating, liberally season the beef with salt and pepper on each side.
Add the seasoned meat to the heated oil and sear on each side until nice and browned, about 2 minutes per side. Once browned, transfer the beef to a plate to saute the veggies.

Beef before and after searing in a dutch pan.

After removing the beef, if the pot is dry, add in a bit more oil. Oftentimes I find that the beef has rendered off enough fat, I don't need the extra oil.
Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pan and saute until the onions become softened about 2-4 minutes.
Add in the garlic and saute for just 1 minute. It is really important to not add garlic with the onions, carrots, and celery, as it can burn really quickly. And burnt garlic ruins a dish QUICKLY!
Once the garlic is just sauteed, add in the tomato paste and toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toasting the tomato paste will help to really develop a rich tomato flavor.

Vegetables in stock pan with and without tomato paste.

Slowly stir in the red wine or beef broth, if not using wine, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. All those bits really add flavor to the soup. Let the wine cook for 1 minute, to let the alcohol evaporate.
Stir in the beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and seared beef back into the broth. Be sure to add any drippings that accumulated on the plate--that is a lot of flavor right there!
Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender about 1 hour. Be sure to remove the lid and give the soup a good stir occasionally.

One of my tricks for making the best Vegetable Beef Soup is to add the vegetables in stages, that way everything is perfectly cooked and the vegetables do not end up overcooked. Once the beef is tender, add in the cubed potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add in the green beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Then finally, add in the peas and simmer for 3-5 minutes. This will result in perfectly cooked veggies!

Serve up this hearty soup and top with fresh parsley if desired. I love to pair it with crusty dutch oven bread or Italian bread to soak up all the delicious broth.

Bowl of old fashioned beef and vegetable soup.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

This soup can easily be made in the crockpot, which is perfect when you don't have time to babysit a soup simmering on the stove.

Sear the beef as directed on the stove.
Once seared, add the seared beef to the slow cooker along with the onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, green beans, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Stir in the peas to warm through right before serving.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

I absolutely love having leftover Vegetable Beef Soup, as reheats and freezes beautifully. In fact, I often make a double batch as this soup is a perfect make-ahead recipe.

To Refrigerate: Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat a large batch of soup on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through or microwave individual servings in heat-safe bowls for 1-2 minutes.
To Freeze: Allow the soup to cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1-inch room for expansion. Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow the frozen soup to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a large pot on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Recipe Modifications

Low-Sodium: To reduce the sodium in this soup, use low-sodium beef broth, low-sodium Worchesestire Sauce, and salt-free diced tomatoes.
Using Frozen Mixed Vegetables: If you are in a bind, you can use a bag of mixed vegetables in place of the carrots, green beans, and peas, although that is not my personal preference. To do so, replace the diced carrots, green beans, and peas with a 10-ounce bag of frozen vegetables. Add when the recipe states to add in the green beans. Simmer until cooked through and serve the soup.
Vegetable Beef Soup with Ground Beef: While I prefer preparing this soup with stew meat, you can swap it out for ground beef with a few modifications to the cooking process. Saute 1 pound of ground beef with the carrots, onions, and celery until the meat is browned. Add in the garlic and tomato paste, and toast for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan as directed with red wine/broth. Then add in the beef broth, tomatoes, seasonings, AND potatoes at this point. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add in the green beans, and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Finally, stir in the peas and warm through, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.

More Hearty Soup Recipes

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