Beef and Vegetable Soup (Printer-friendly)

A warming bowl filled with tender beef, root vegetables, and aromatic herbs for cozy winter meals.

# 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, or to taste
18 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven 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 minced 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 until all vegetables are soft. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The broth develops an incredible depth that store-bought soup could never match, especially when you let it simmer slowly while watching the snow fall outside.
  • You can adjust the vegetables based on what looks good at the market that day, which means this recipe has carried me through countless seasons without ever getting boring.
02 -
  • The soup will initially seem too thin, but resist adding thickeners as it naturally concentrates during the long simmer, and the potatoes release starch that gives body to the broth.
  • Letting the soup rest off the heat for 10-15 minutes before serving allows the flavors to settle and meld together in a way that transforms it from good to exceptional.
03 -
  • Keep a ziplock bag in the freezer for vegetable scraps like onion ends, carrot peels, and celery leaves, then use them to make a quick stock that can be added to boost the flavor of your soup.
  • If you have time, searing the beef cubes in small batches rather than all at once ensures each piece gets proper browning without steaming, dramatically improving the final flavor.
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