A hearty Vegetable Beef Soup with melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked chunks of beef, potato and vegetables simmered in a herb infused savoury broth. You’ll love how the broth of this beef soup recipe is slightly thickened so it’s like gravy and has extra flavour from a secret ingredient!
Vegetable Beef Soup
So many beef soups are watery and dull. Not this one!!! The thing that sets this beef soup recipe apart from the rest is the broth. It’s slightly thickened so it’s more like a thinnish gravy. It’s infused with herb flavour and also gets an extra depth of flavour from the secret ingredient: red wine. Or beer or stout. (They’re all good)
It’s not about boozing up our soup! It’s about adding complexity and character to the soup broth flavour without simmering for hours up hours like we do with Beef Stew and Pot Roast.
Without the wine, the broth still tastes very, very good.
With the wine, it’s stellar! (And in care you’re concerned, the alcohol gets cooked out, just leaving behind flavour.)
What goes in Vegetable Beef Soup
Here’s what you need.
Stewing beef – anything economical, in small bite size pieces (remember, we’re making a soup here, not a stew)
Red wine, stout or guinness – all of these work great here. Red wine gives it a classic beef stew flavour, Guinness or stout will give the soup a more intense, deep flavour like Irish Guinness Stew. I use wine most frequently because I always have some on hand, and because I prefer not to just use part of a can of beer that I wouldn’t choose to drink!
How to make Beef Soup
The key step here is to brown the beef well – aggressively is the term that I use. This adds a ton of flavour to the beef itself and the broth, from the brown bits on the bottom of the pot that dissolves into the broth.
I like to sauté the mushrooms in butter and add them towards the end – but this is optional. Because golden brown buttery mushrooms vs mushrooms just simmered in the broth? There is no contest! (But really, it is optional 🙂 )
Fall-apart slow cooked beef!
I promised you fall-apart beef, and fall apart beef you shall get. And you will see just how tender the beef is in the recipe video below using the most ridiculous method – chopsticks of all things!!
I know, I know, it’s soooo Asian.
But right at that moment while I was filming, it was the first thought that came to me as the easiest way to show it on camera! 😂 I mean, how else can I pry a piece of beef apart using one hand??
What Beef Soup goes with
There’s a ton of veggies in this soup, and you could add even more into the soup. Green beans would be ideal, but they were extortionately overpriced on the day I shot this and I just couldn’t do it.
So it’s an ideal meal-in-a bowl that doesn’t need anything more. But I’m pretty sure no one would say no to a side of quick Cheesy Garlic Bread!!! Or try one of these soup dunkers:
Soup Dunkers
Also, this soup just gets better with time and freezes 100% perfectly. So make a double batch! ~ Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Vegetable Beef Soup (Fall apart beef!)
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 500g/1 lb stewing beef , cut into 1.75cm / 2/3″ cubes (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 onion , chopped
- 3 garlic , minced (1 tbsp)
- 2 celery , cut into 0.8 cm / 1/3″ slices
- 3 carrots , cut into 0.5 cm / 1/5″ thick slices (halve larger ones)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 1/2 cups (625ml) beef broth/stock , low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) dry red wine, Guinness beer or stout (Note 2)
- 1.5 cups (375ml) water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 potatoes (any), cut into 1.5cm / 2/3″ cubes
Buttery mushrooms (optional):
- 1 tbsp (15g) butter or oil
- 200g/ 6oz small mushrooms , quartered or halved
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil until very hot in a large, heavy based pot over high heat.
- Pat beef dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brown beef aggressively in 2 or 3 batches, adding more oil if needed. Remove browned beef into a bowl.
- If pot looks dry, add a touch more oil.
- Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Stir in flour, then slowly pour in beef broth while constantly stirring.
- Add beer, water, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme, stir well. Then add the beef back in.
- Cover, adjust heat to medium low so it’s bubbling gently. Simmer 1 hr 15 min or until beef is pretty tender.
- Add potatoes and peas, simmer for a further 20 minutes without the lid. Add cooked mushrooms in the last 5 minutes.
- The soup is ready when the potatoes are cooked and beef is very tender (see video).
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper in this!).
- Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread if desired. Try quick Cheesy Garlic Bread or super easy Irish Soda Bread!
Buttery Mushrooms (optional):
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes:
- Red wine – any dry, full bodied red wine. Cab Sauv and Merlots are ideal.
- Guinness Beer and Stout are dark beers, labelled as such on the cans. You should find these at most liquor stores. Use some, drink some – or tip the whole can in an simmer for longer with the lid off!
- Non alcoholic sub – add 400g/14 oz can of crushed tomato, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. This will add alternative flavour to compensate.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2019. Updated for housekeeping matters March 2020, no change to recipe.
More chunky, hearty soups
Life of Dozer
This is what a doggy smile looks like.
(And we’d be smiling too if we had Life of Dozer!!!)
Ming Storm says
making this right now and waiting for the beef to be tender. the gravy already tastes so delicious. thank you for such an easy recipe
Arlene says
I can’t have tomatoes. Can the tomato paste be omitted?
sarah says
Hi,
Do you think i can make this recipe with ground beef mince? As i am not a fan of chunks of beef.
Nagi says
Hi Sarah, you could – I would brown the beef off first, you wont need to simmer for the full 1 hour 15 – but I would still simmer at least 30 minutes before following up with step 10. N x
Sonja Truesdale says
Absolutely awesome soup Nagi. I made it non-alcoholic though and it is delicious. Thank you. You are without a doubt my ‘Go – to’ chef. If I’m in the mood for something I go to your website first. I already have your website bookmarked.
Also may you recommend a good Italian Cookbook? I’ve purchased the Thai and Mexican books that you mentioned in your relevant posts. I loooove Italian. I used to have the Women’s Weekly Italian Cook book, but it’s gone walk-about.
I love your website Nagi, thank you for all the work you do, to make my time in the kitchen an enjoyable and satisfying experience for myself and my family xxx
Lesley Bowrey says
Made this and loved it! what is the cooking time for a double batch and do all the seasonings double up?
Helen Conway says
OMG Nagi – this is about the tenth time – without a lie – that I’ve made this soup – absolutely of my favs. Unfortunately with social distancing my friends won’t be getting any – oh well – lucky it freezes beautifully! 😄
Pam says
Soup was excellent! I have made it twice in the last ten days. Of any recipes I have tried of yours I have liked them all!
Nagi says
That’s fabulous PAM, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Kim says
Hey Nagi, can I adapt this for the slow cooker? Wanting to put it in tomorrow before work. I guessing brown beef as normal but the transfer to the slow cooker? or will I miss out on all the yummy caramalised goodies at the bottom of pan?
Nagi says
Hi Kim, technically you could at step 9, but then you’d need to transfer it back to a pot at a later stage to reduce the sauce – N x
Anne says
I have this simmering on the stove right now. The timing is perfect for the cooking of the spud. Added a swede when potato added, because we found one still at the supermarket after the panic buying. O..M..G. Smell, taste everything is stunning. Had to use heart-smart (Lean) beef. All that was left. Nagi, all your recipes are awesome. THANK YOU for your dedication to creating such yummy and practical food! And sharing with us mere mortals. x And I used beer and red wine – awesome – because I could.
Neil Shanahan says
I made this soup for my girlfriend and I. And we both absolutely loved it. I added a splash of Worcestershire sauce too.
Such a great hearty soup. Will make it again for sure.
Absolutely love your site!!
Michael says
I use a dark non alcoholic beer for this recipe and it turns out wonderful
Deb says
You used all 3 at the same time wine beer and stout?
Nagi says
Hi Deb, you can use any one of the three (not all of them) – N x
Vera G says
Nagi This is extra special and its on my Saturday menu.Love IT. Today was shopping and bought for 4$ beef slow cooking got ALL veggis, Wine, home grown bay leave, thyme and I use few home grown komquat and few leaves shreded and Bon Appetite! Dozer is having time Of his life.
Nagi says
Woah!! Bargain Vera – I’m coming over for dinner!
Jessica Luk says
Could I do this in a slowcooker? How would I change the recipe steps to accommodate for this? Love your recipes!!
Nagi says
Hi Jessica, you’s need to start it all in a pan (as you need to sear the beef) then transfer back to the slow cooker – then back to a pot to simmer it over the stove. It’s not really suitable for the slow cooker unfortunately N x
Ai says
Thank you for this easy gummy recipe
Brenda says
I can’t wait to make this over the weekend. I’m subbing barley because neither my son nor I are big potato eaters. I figure I’ll just watch it close and add more liquid if needed. Making a loaf of no knead bread to go with.
Chris says
This is truly delicious! We subbed some leftover green beans (that we needed to use) for the peas but kept everything else the same. The flavor of the broth
was amazing! We doubled the recipe in anticipation of the leftovers. It did not disappoint, Will be making this often. Thank you, Nagi!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Chris!!
Melissa Weaver says
Hello,i want to try this but in the crock pot,how long would I cook it?
Nagi says
Hi Melissa, you really want to get this soup to a simmer and reduce to get the flavours – N x
Elizabeth says
Made this soup for a friend that just got out of the hospital. I used green beans in place of peas, seasoned the beef with S&P, shallot and garlic powder and browned up on the grill, then added to soup, and drained a can of fire roasted tomatoes, and used the juice to make a slurry with the flour (because I forgot to make the roux). It had a wonderful complex flavors! Thanks for sharing. And no lie, I kept a couple bowls for us. : )
Nagi says
That’s the best gift to give! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Elizabeth! N x
Irena says
Great recipe! Made it tonight and even though I did not cook the meat for an hour it turned out good. I used sirloin steak for meat and I went the no alcohol and no mushrooms route.
Nagi says
Sounds like you nailed it Irena!!