Hearty Beef and Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Tender beef chunks with carrots, celery, potatoes, and green beans in a rich beef broth infused with thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
08 - 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
09 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 - 1 cup frozen peas
11 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

→ Liquids

12 - 8 cups beef broth

→ Herbs & Seasonings

13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 1 tsp dried thyme
15 - 1 tsp dried oregano
16 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
17 - 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
18 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides for 5-7 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Return browned beef to the pot. Stir in potatoes, parsnip, green beans, tomatoes with juice, beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, pepper, and salt.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender.
05 - Add peas and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft.
06 - Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes absolutely melt-in-your-mouth tender after that slow simmer, completely different from those rushed versions that leave the meat tough.
  • You can customize the vegetables based on whatever looks best at the market that day, making this a forgiving recipe when your grocery plans go sideways.
02 -
  • Resist the urge to stir too frequently during simmering, as this can break down the vegetables into mush instead of tender but distinct pieces.
  • The soup tastes dramatically better on day two after the flavors have had time to meld together overnight in the refrigerator.
03 -
  • Cut all vegetables roughly the same size to ensure they cook at the same rate, preventing some from turning to mush while others remain too firm.
  • If youre short on time, using a pressure cooker can reduce the cooking time to about 35 minutes while still achieving tender beef, though the flavors wont be quite as developed.
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