Easy Vegetable Beef Soup – Budget Bytes

One of the first things I learned when I embarked on my budget-food journey is just how easy, filling, and inexpensive soup is. Homemade soups are a breeze to throw together and they’re always so much tastier than store-bought canned soup. This Vegetable Beef Soup is a great example. It’s chock-full of colorful veggies, filling ground beef, and the most delicious broth ever. I like to serve it up with a nice crusty bread for dipping. Lunch is served!

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“This soup is so good! We made it with chuck roast and added some fresh diced tomatoes to use them up. We paired it with your hot honey cornbread and it was amazing! So easy, flavorful, and filling.”

samantha

Easy Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

This classic soup combines ground beef, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, corn, carrots, and green beans in a flavorful broth. To make this soup a bit easier, I’ve used a frozen vegetable mix to cut down on the amount of peeling and chopping needed to prepare the soup. That makes this homemade vegetable beef soup extra fast and easy. 😊 To give the soup even more flavor, I’ve also added a healthy dose of Italian seasoning and some Worcestershire sauce to the broth for extra depth.

Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

This super easy Vegetable Beef Soup is a filling and flavorful option for lunch, dinner, or your weekly meal prep!

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• 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
• 2 cloves garlic ($0.08)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
• 1 lb. ground beef* ($4.98)
• 1 russet potato (about ¾ lb.) ($0.71)
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes ($1.63)
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.15)
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
• 4 cups beef broth** ($0.52)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.14)
• 12 oz. frozen vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)*** ($1.08)
• salt to taste ($0.05)

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.

• Add the ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté until the ground beef is cooked through. If using a higher fat content ground beef, you can drain the excess fat, if you prefer.

• While the beef is cooking, peel and dice the russet potato into ½-inch cubes.

• Add the cubed potatoes, diced tomatoes (with juices), Italian seasoning, pepper, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir to combine.

• Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

• Add the frozen vegetables to the pot and allow the soup to come back up to a simmer. Simmer the vegetables in the soup for about five minutes.

• Finally, taste the soup and add salt to help the flavors pop. Start with ½ tsp, if desired, and add more until it reaches your desired level.

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*I used ground beef in my vegetable beef soup because it was the least expensive and the easiest to use. If you use higher-fat ground beef, you have the option to drain the fat off after browning or leave it in for extra flavor and richness.
If you have room in your budget and would rather have chunks of beef in your soup, choose a chuck roast or bottom round roast, cut into 1-inch pieces. Simply brown the beef in the pot before adding the rest of the ingredients. No need to cook through during the browning stage, as it will cook through while the soup is simmered. Some readers have also swapped the beef with ground turkey and said it turned out great!
**Make sure you’re using a full-flavored beef broth for maximum deliciousness. I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make flavorful broth for my soups.
***I used a bag of mixed frozen veggies, but you can use any frozen vegetables you like.

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSodium: 946mgFiber: 5g

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How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Sauté the aromatics: Dice one yellow onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.

Brown the beef: Add 1 lb. ground beef and continue to sauté until the beef is cooked through. If you’re using a higher fat content ground beef you can drain off the excess fat, if preferred.

Assemble the soup: While the beef is browning, peel and dice one russet potato (about ¾ lb.) into ½-inch pieces. Add the diced potatoes to the pot with one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices), 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 4 cups beef broth, and 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.

Simmer: Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Add the frozen veggies: Add a 12oz. bag of frozen vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans), stir to combine and allow it to come back up to a simmer. Simmer the vegetables in the soup for about five more minutes.

What Else Can I Add?

This is my favorite part of any recipe. What else can you add to vegetable beef soup to make it your own? Try adding some of these ingredients:

• Barley (you’ll need to add more broth to cook the barley, see my vegetable barley soup recipe for reference!)
• Chopped cabbage
• Celery
• Cauliflower florets
• Parsnips
• Crushed red pepper
• Finely chopped kale

Storage and Reheating

Let any leftovers cool completely before storing them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind the veggies will likely be much softer after being frozen and thawed. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge (if frozen) and either reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often.