Beef Vegetable Potato Soup (Printable Version)
Tender beef and potatoes combine with fresh vegetables in a savory, hearty broth for a filling meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 1 medium onion, chopped
06 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
07 - 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Broth & Liquids
09 - 6 cups beef broth (gluten-free if needed)
10 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
→ Herbs & Spices
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 2 bay leaves
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Oils
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes in batches and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
02 - Add chopped onion, sliced carrots, and celery to the same pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
04 - Return browned beef to the pot. Add diced potatoes, green beans, beef broth, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
06 - Stir in peas and continue to simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until vegetables are tender and beef is fork-tender.
07 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Adjust salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beef becomes so tender it falls apart at the gentlest nudge of your spoon, without any fussing or special tricks.
- You get real vegetables you can actually taste and recognize, not just flavored broth masquerading as substance.
- One pot does all the work while you do something else, and your house smells like home cooking the entire time.
02 -
- If you skip the browning step on the beef, your soup will taste thin and one-dimensional instead of rich—those caramelized edges are non-negotiable.
- Don't add the peas until the very end; they go soft and pale if they spend the whole hour simmering when they should stay bright and tender.
- Worcestershire sauce contains fish, so if you're avoiding it for allergies or dietary reasons, the soup is still delicious without it—you won't miss anything because the tomatoes and herbs already provide that savory depth.
03 -
- Cut your beef and vegetables fairly consistently in size so everything finishes cooking at roughly the same time—it's not about perfection, just about avoiding one ingredient done while another is still raw.
- Keep the heat at a proper simmer, not a rolling boil; aggressive bubbling will make the beef tough instead of tender, which defeats the whole purpose of the long cook time.