Beef Vegetable Soup Potatoes

There's something about a pot of beef and vegetable soup simmering on the stove that makes a kitchen feel like home. I learned to make this version on a gray January afternoon when my neighbor brought over a thermos of her own soup, and I realized how much I'd been missing those slow-cooked flavors. The broth becomes rich and deep as the beef softens, and the vegetables add their own sweetness to the mix. Now whenever I need comfort, this is what I reach for.

My sister called me on a Sunday morning asking what was for dinner, and I had this soup simmering by lunchtime. By the time she walked through the door that evening, the whole house smelled like a hug. She had a bowl with crusty bread and said it was exactly what she needed.

Ingredients

• Beef stew meat (500 g): Cut into 2 cm cubes so it cooks evenly and becomes fork-tender without falling apart.
• Potatoes (2 medium): Dice them the same size as your beef so everything finishes cooking together.
• Carrots (3 medium): Slice them thick enough to hold their shape but thin enough to soften properly.
• Celery stalks (2): These add a subtle backbone that rounds out the whole flavor.
• Onion (1 medium): Chop it fine so it melts into the broth and sweetens everything.
• Green beans (1 cup): Cut them into chunks so they don't get lost in the soup.
• Peas (1 cup): Add these late so they stay bright and don't turn gray.
• Garlic (2 cloves): Mince it finely so it dissolves into the broth without overpowering.
• Beef broth (1.5 liters): Use good quality broth as it's the soul of this soup.
• Canned diced tomatoes (400 g): The acidity brightens everything and helps tenderize the beef.
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons): This concentrated flavor deepens the broth without making it taste tomato-forward.
• Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon): It adds an umami depth that makes people ask what your secret is.
• Thyme (1 teaspoon): Dried thyme stays bold through long cooking.
• Oregano (1 teaspoon): Adds an earthy note that makes the soup taste like it simmered all day.
• Bay leaves (2): They infuse the broth with subtle complexity that you can't quite identify.
• Salt and pepper: Taste as you go and season at the end when all flavors have developed.
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons): Use it to get a proper sear on the beef before everything joins the pot.

Instructions

Sear the beef:

Heat olive oil in your pot over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. Brown the beef in batches so the pot stays hot and each piece gets golden and caramelized. Don't crowd the pan or everything will steam instead of sear.

Build the base:

In the same pot, toss in onion, carrots, and celery. Let them soften for about 5 minutes while you stir occasionally. You're creating the flavor foundation that will carry everything else.

Add the aromatics:

Stir in minced garlic and cook for just 1 minute until the smell blooms and fills your kitchen. This is when you know your soup is about to become something special.

Combine everything:

Return the beef to the pot and add potatoes, green beans, broth, tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir everything together so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Simmer the soup:

Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down low and cover the pot. Let it bubble gently for 1 hour, stirring once in a while. The beef will gradually become impossibly tender.

Finish with peas:

Add the peas and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the beef yields instantly to a fork. The peas will stay vivid green.

Final seasoning:

Fish out the bay leaves and taste carefully. Add salt and pepper until it tastes like pure comfort, not too salty but not bland either.

Pin Recipe

My daughter came home from school during her worst day of the year and asked for nothing but a bowl of this soup. We sat at the counter together in silence except for the spoon, and she felt better before she finished.

The Secret to Tender Beef

The key is patience and low heat. When you rush this soup with high heat, the beef tenses up and turns stringy. But when you let it simmer gently for a full hour, the collagen in the meat breaks down into gelatin and the whole soup becomes silky. I learned this the hard way by burning the bottom of the pot before I understood that low and slow is the only way forward.

Timing and Make-Ahead Strategy

This soup is even better the next day when all the flavors have married overnight in the refrigerator. You can make it in the morning and reheat it gently at dinnertime, or prep all your vegetables in advance and actually cook it when you want the kitchen to smell incredible. If you're freezing leftovers, leave out the peas and add them fresh when you reheat, so they don't turn mushy.

Variations and Personal Touches

This soup is a foundation that welcomes your own additions without complaining. A splash of red wine added with the broth turns it rich and wine-forward, which I do when I'm feeling fancy. Sweet potatoes instead of regular ones add a different kind of comfort, almost dessert-like in their own way. Some people swear by fresh dill instead of oregano, and I've never been brave enough to argue.

• Add red wine for a deeper, richer broth that tastes like something from a slow cooker at a farmhouse dinner.
• Swap sweet potatoes for a naturally sweeter soup that feels almost like autumn in a bowl.
• Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last bit of broth.

Pin Recipe

This soup has shown up at my table in every season and never once disappointed. It's the kind of thing that feels simple until you taste it, and then you understand why people have been making versions of it for generations.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I use different cuts of beef?

Yes, beef stew meat is ideal for tenderness after simmering, but chuck roast cut into cubes also works well.

→ How do I keep the vegetables from overcooking?

Add softer vegetables like peas towards the end of cooking to maintain texture and avoid mushiness.

→ Is it okay to substitute sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes?

Sweet potatoes can be used for a subtle sweetness and different texture, adjusting cooking time slightly.

→ What herbs suit this soup best?

Dried thyme, oregano, and bay leaves provide a classic herbal aroma that complements the beef and vegetables.

→ Can I prepare this soup ahead of time?

Yes, flavors deepen when refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.