Follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making this hearty Vegetable Beef Soup. Nothing seems to satisfy the tummy and the “soul” on a cold day better than a bowl of warm soup. Add some saltine crackers, a sandwich of choice and, you’ve got a meal that will have you all warm and cozy in no time.
Southern Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe:
This past weekend, we experienced a brief respite from the cold weather of the past several weeks. Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday climbed back up to around 72 degrees and had folks back in shorts. This evening, as I write this, only 4 days later, I’m switching between writing and watching the weather forecast for our area. You see, at this moment, the weather forecasters are calling for SNOW. It’s expected to reach us around 10:00pm this evening and, they say we could see anywhere from 1 to 3 inches…or more.
This may not be a big deal for those of you further North but, where I live, any call for snow is a call to hunker down. We’ve had rain all day today and the temperature will drop to just below freezing before sunrise on Friday morning. We’re more concerned about the “ice” than the snow. Even a thin sheet of ice on the highway can cause some serious driving and walking conditions around these parts. We always hear our officials telling us that if we don’t have to be out…don’t go out. Yet, the biggest majority will not heed the warning. I’m getting old now….I will listen closely. It’s true what they say about “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” I speak from experience…trust me.
I’d been wanting some Vegetable Beef Soup for a couple of weeks. It just turned off too warm to actually make it though. So, when the temperatures were forecast to drop back down at the first of this week, I headed out for some stew meat to add to the soup. I actually made this on Monday and enjoyed a good deal of it. The remainder, went into the freezer for another “cold” day. Looks like I need to get out another carton. Cold winter weather is fast approaching.
I made this soup using a 2lb. bag of frozen Mixed Vegetables. It’s not very “soupy” but you could easily add a little more liquid if you desire. It’s just a good, hearty soup, filled with vegetables and, it’s perfect for a snowy day…anywhere. You’ll need a big pot but that’s OK. The good part is that you can have some now….and….some for later. And, it’s really, really good. Ready to give it a try? OK then….Let’s Get Cooking!
Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe: You’ll need these ingredients.
You’ll also need a can of Tomato Sauce. I’ve included it in the printable recipe below but, I somehow managed to leave it out of the photo. I must apologize for that. I’ve also mentioned some Texas Pete Hot Sauce….that’s optional though.
I purchased a package of “Beef for Stew” as they call it. It’s already cut into chunks but I didn’t want anything quite that big so, I chopped each piece into smaller pieces. You could use sirloin, chuck or, even hamburger if you prefer. Whatever is on sale is the way I figure.
I used about 4 small potatoes. I washed them, sliced them, cut them into strips, then into small diced portions. Yes, I left the skins on. I like that “rustic” look. It just makes the soup all the more “hearty,” I think. If you don’t like them, no problem, just peel them off. It’s your soup.
I chopped up one medium sized onion. You can do this as you go along through the process. I just went ahead and prepped the items needed so they would be ready for their photo debut.
You’ll need a good sized stock pot to make this. Place it on your stove and set the heat to about Medium. Add the butter as it begins to warm up.
Add the beef on top of the butter.
Once you get to this point, you could go ahead and dice up your potatoes and onions if you haven’t done so already. We’re going to brown the beef a little and this will take a few minutes. Don’t brown it too fast or let it burn.
Brown the beef on all sides, stirring it once the bottom starts to brown a bit. Stir it often so it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Toss in the onions.
Let the onions cook for a couple of minutes. Stir them around as you go.
Add the potatoes.
Add the mixed vegetables. Again, I’m using a 2lb. bag of frozen Mixed Vegetables. Soup is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you have. If you have space in your freezer, designate a container for keeping leftover vegetables. Then, as you have leftovers from a meal, add them into the container. Once you’ve got a bunch of various vegetables saved up….make soup. Waste Not – Want Not. Right?
Add the crushed tomatoes.
Here again, a quart jar of “canned tomatoes” from the pantry would have been great. I’m talking about some fresh tomatoes you might have “jarred up” over the summer. I did have a jar but opted to go with the store bought canned variety.
Give it all a good stir.
Add the sugar.
Add the Black Pepper.
Add the salt. We’ll start out with a teaspoon. You’ll certainly want to taste this after it’s cooked and adjust the salt to your own taste. I added more to mine towards the end. Better to go slow and add it as you go than to add too much.
Add the beef broth.
Add the tomato sauce.
Give it all a good stir. Then, cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat down to a Medium-Low. The soup will need to cook at just a low simmer for the duration.
It took me just over 3 hours to cook this pot of Vegetable Beef Soup. I checked it about every 30 minutes or so, stirring it each time. You just need to let it cook until the potatoes are tender. If you keep a lid on the pot and let it cook slowly, you shouldn’t have to worry about the amount of liquid in the soup. I like mine thick and hearty. If you prefer a little more “soup” in your soup….just add another cup of beef broth.
Once the potatoes are tender, you’re good.
Serve the soup good and warm along with some saltine crackers and your favorite sandwich. It’s sooo good…and really warms the soul.
I like to crumble my crackers into the soup itself. A grilled cheese sandwich is good too. Also, I didn’t show it but, I added about a teaspoon of Texas Pete Hot Sauce into the pot. That’s a personal preference. If the whole family doesn’t enjoy it, just add it to your own bowl and stir it in good. It just adds a little “oomph” to it I think.
I had this Vegetable Beef Soup on Monday, then placed the remainder into serving sized containers. I popped those in the freezer but….with this forecast for snow tonight….I think I’ll go ahead and pull one out. It looks like it’s going to be good weather for some tasty soup. Enjoy!
