This Crockpot Beef Vegetable Soup recipe combines seared cubed beef, potatoes, cabbage, and veggies in a rich tomato infused broth for a large batch slow cooked soup that's hearty and delicious!
JUMP TO RECIPEThis Crockpot Beef Vegetable Soup is the perfect recipe for a hearty meal during the colder months. Loaded with tender and flavorful chunks of beef and tons of veggies slow simmers in a rich and flavorful broth, this soup is like a warm hug on a cold day, and pairs perfectly with some crusty bread and butter.
With just 15 minutes of prep time before adding the soup to the Crockpot to let it do it's magic, this easy soup is a satisfying and hearty meal the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
- Why this Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes
- Instructions (with photos)
- Variations and Tips
- Serving suggestions
- How to store and Freeze Vegetable Beef Soup
- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Must Try Slow Cooker Recipes
Why this Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe Works
Great for Busy Weekdays! With just a bit of prep work to give the soup great flavor, you can prep this soup in the morning and come home to dinner on the table, or make it as part of a weekend meal prep. Bonus: it gets even tastier as it sits, so it makes great leftovers!
Low and slow, for great flavor. The soup cooks low and slow for 8 hours in the crockpot, letting all the great flavors marry to become one delicious soup!
Hearty and filling. This soup is loaded with veggies (potatoes, carrots, green beans, and cabbage- to name a few), as well as tender slow cooked beef for a satisfying meal you can feel good about.
Makes a LOT. This recipe is made in a large (7 quart) Crockpot, and makes a lot of soup! About 5 full quarts, making it great for large families, meal prep, and freezing!
Ingredient Notes
Building the soup
Cubed Chuck Roast. I love using Beef Chuck Roast in soup, since it has a high collagen content, and becomes super tender and velvety when slow cooked. To prepare the chuck roast for soup, cut off any excess fat, and cut the meat into small cubes. If you buy a larger roast (this recipe calls for 1 lb), you can freeze it for later, or use it to make Irish Beef Stew, Beef Barley Soup, or Slow Cooker Chicago Italian Beef!
Cabbage and Potatoes. I like to add heft and heartiness to the soup by adding diced Yukon gold potatoes and a small chopped head of green cabbage to the soup. The cabbage breaks down and releases its water content and flavor into the soup broth, and the yukon gold potatoes hold their shape and creaminess during slow cooking.
Carrots, Celery, Onion, and Garlic. This soup uses a mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion), along with fresh garlic to give the soup base a great flavor. Be sure to dice the veggies into small, uniform pieces so that they cook evenly.
Fresh or frozen green beans. I love adding some green beans to the soup to make it extra hearty and veggie-packed. You can opt to use fresh green beans cut into small pieces, or a bag of frozen cut green beans (no need to thaw). They are loaded with vitamins (like A, C, and K) and minerals (calcium, iron and more), too!
Building the broth
Canned tomatoes and beef broth. The broth base of this soup starts with browning the beef, then deglazing the browned bits in the pan with the mirepoix, garlic, spices, and tomato paste. Once you all it all to the crockpot, you'll add a can of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes an their juices, and beef broth to build a richly flavored broth as the soup cooks.
Worcestershire sauce. Do not skip this! Adding the Worcestershire sauce to the soup gives it amazing depth and complexity, and adds a great savory element to the soup, really rounding out the flavors. My go-to is always Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. It's the best!
Instructions (with photos)
Below is a step by step visual guide to making the soup, to give you a better idea of what you should be looking for while preparing the soup.
Variations and Tips
Don't skip browning the beef. Browning the beef gives the soup a deep, rich flavor, and adding the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, spices and tomato paste helps to deepen the flavor even more. It also helps to loosen up all the delicious browned bits from the pan to give EVEN MORE flavor to the soup. Trust me, it's worth the extra step!
Use a large slow cooker. This recipe makes a lot of soup- so use a vessel that can handle it! I recommend a 7 quart crockpot for this recipe.
Skip the chopping and use frozen mixed veggies! If you're short on time, or simply want to save some time, you can use a bag of frozen mixed veggies for this recipe! No need to thaw, but leave them out of the browning process so they don't become mushy. You can also add more veggies, like mushrooms, frozen corn, or diced bell peppers!
Swap the Chuck roast for another cut of beef. I love to use a beef Chuck roast for this recipe, since it works beautifully in the slow cooker, and can be cut to size. You could also use cubed London broil, or pre-packaged stew beef for this recipe and it would still be amazing!
Always taste for seasoning. Be sure to give the soup a taste prior to serving, and add salt, pepper, or an extra splash of Worcestershire sauce if needed to balance out the flavors.
Crockpot Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 7 quart crockpot / slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil, such as avocado oil, (plus more as needed)
- 1 lb Beef chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes, (may also use stew meat or London Broil)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 large carrots (peeled and chopped into small pieces)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups beef broth or stock, (may use low sodium)
- 1 small head of green Cabbage, chopped into small pieces (about 1-2")- core and wilted leaves removed
- 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small pieces (about 1")
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice , (fire roasted preferred)
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cut green beans (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Season beef on all sides with salt and pepper. 3. Brown beef in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan, or it won’t brown) 2-3 minutes a side, and remove to the crockpot. (add more oil to the pan if needed as you go). 4. Reduce heat to medium. 5. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Scraping up any browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. 6. Once the veggies are softened, add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika, and cook 30 seconds, until just fragrant. 7. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until deepened in color, about 2 minutes. Deglazed the pan with ½ cup water to loosen everything up. 8. Transfer the vegetable and tomato paste mixture from the skillet to the slow cooker. 9. Add the beef broth, cabbage, potatoes, diced tomatoes, green beans, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf to the crockpot. 10. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender, and cabbage has softened. Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve immediately or keep on warm until ready to serve.
Notes
Serving suggestions
This soup goes great with a simple side salad, and some garlic bread or warm bread and butter.
If you've got a little extra time, this Beef Vegetable Soup also goes great with some homemade Gouda and Cheddar Biscuits, or Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Cornbread!
How to store and Freeze Vegetable Beef Soup
Refrigerator. Cool the soup to room temperature, transfer to air tight containers, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer. This soup freezes great for up to 3 months! To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What cut of beef is best for this soup?
For this soup, my #1 choice is Beef Chuck roast, cut into small cubes. Other great options would be pre-packaged stew beef, or London broil, cut into smaller pieces.
Do I need to brown the beef?
While it's not 100% necessary to brown the beef for the soup, I prefer not to skip this step. Browning the beef not only adds deeper, richer flavor to the soup, it also creates a crust on the cubed beef, helping it to retain it's moisture and flavor. And deglazing the browned bits with veggies and tomato paste helps get all the goodness into your crockpot!
Can I make the Beef Vegetable Soup ahead of time?
This soup gets even better as it sits, so making it a day or so ahead is always a great option, as it allows the flavors to really meld together. To reheat, simmer on the stove until warmed through.
Is the soup able to be made on the stovetop?
If you prefer to make the soup on the stovetop, you can do all the steps in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Once all ingredients are added, cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 3 hours, or until meat and veggies are tender.
Can I make the soup in the Instant Pot?
Yes! To make this soup in your Instant Pot or Pressure cooker, use the saute function to brown the meat and deglaze the veggies, garlic, spices and tomato paste. Press cancel, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, and set to 30 minutes at high pressure. Allow for a 10 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure. When making this way, always taste for seasoning prior to serving!
Must Try Slow Cooker Recipes
If you love this Crockpot Beef Vegetable Soup recipe, you'll love these tasty slow cooker recipes, too!
Try my Easy Crockpot Ham Bone Bean Soup recipe, a great and effortless way to use up your holiday ham bone!
Make my tasty Slow Cooker Beef Stew, with canned biscuit dumplings!
Whip up a batch of my Crockpot White Chicken Chili with all the fixings for game day!
Try a batch of the ultimate comfort food- my Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs!
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