Vegetable Beef Soup is a hearty, delicious, filling yet clean recipe perfect for a cozy dinner in. This easy healthy soup recipe is keto-friendly and can be made in a jiffy when under a time crunch!
I discovered a few years ago that sweater weather plus a big bowl of vegetable beef soup is where I thrive. If you’re like me and you’re at your best when warm, cozy, full of comforting whole food, and comatose by 9pm, you’re in for a basic treat!
There’s just something about a variety of vegetables and a good protein swaddled in hot broth that does the belly well. The house smells lovely, the body feels nourished, and all is where it should be.
Add in a kitty cat sneeze or a puppy yawn and we’ve reached true nirvana.
Truth be told, there are about a million and a quarter ways one can make a vegetable beef soup, but this happens to be my current favorite. This. On repeat. Until the summer comes back around.
Here’s what we need to make this beefy vegetable soup happen:
Ingredients for Vegetable Beef Soup:
Vegetables: onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, yellow squash, peas, tomatoes, oh my! There are plenty of options for changing up the vegetables here, but these are the ones I’ve chosen for this tasty comforting beef soup.
If you prefer canned tomatoes over fresh tomatoes, replace the tomatoes with 1 drained can of diced (don’t include the juices).
Beef: Ground beef is the meat of this recipe! While you can absolutely use steak, I find many cuts of steak turn out hard unless cooked for a long period of time. A goof-proof method of achieving an amazing soup without the potential for rock solid meat is simply using ground beef. I use grass-fed 90/10 ground beef, but you can choose your favorite version.
Broth: Beef broth makes this soup taste even more rich in flavor
Sea salt & Pepper: Sea salt and pepper round out the flavor of the soup and add a little spunk! Remember to always salt to taste, as it works miracles in bringing out the flavor in a dish that is whole food-centric.
Optional Add Ins: Add 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour during the boiling process in order to achieve a thicker, stew-like soup. If you don’t follow a ketogenic diet, add 1 russet or yukon gold potato if you’d like. If you cook with wine, add ¼ cup red wine for big bold sultry flavor.
And here’s how we make it!
How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup:
Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally until onion is richly golden-brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sauteing another 2 minutes.
Scoot the vegetables off to one side of the stock pot and add the ground beef. Allow it to brown for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side another 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces and stir well. Note: If your meat has a lot of fat content and you prefer less fat, drain the fat after it has rendered.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables have reached desired done-ness, about 10 to 15 minutes. Note: If you’re able to allow the soup to cook for longer, it will become even more flavorful if you allow it to cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Just be sure you keep it covered and cook it on the lowest setting to ensure it isn’t boiling.
Tip for Making THE BEST Vegetable Beef Soup:
One of my go-to methods of adding a tremendous amount of flavor to soup or stew is to cook the onion slowly until it has browned – think nearly caramelized. The softer and browner the onion becomes, the richer the soup will be. Also don’t be afraid to go heavy on the garlic if you like it!
Instant Pot Option:
Looking to make this in your pressure cooker? Here’s what you do.
Plug in your Instant Pot, add the oil, and press ‘Saute.’ Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until onion begins to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, press “Manual” and set the time for 12 minutes on high pressure. Leave the steam vent sealed. After the pressure cooker has run its course, allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
Stir well and season soup to taste with sea salt.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Make recipe paleo or whole30-compliant by omitting the peas.
- Use 2 large carrots and skip the parsnip if you don’t like parsnips.
- Replace the tomatoes with 1 (14-oz) can of diced tomatoes (drain it first before adding the tomatoes).
- Add in any of your favorite vegetables – cauliflower, zucchini, and broccoli would be great!
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
- Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Italian Wedding Soup with Rice
- Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables
- Instant Pot Steak and Potato Soup
- Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
Bowls on repeat!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef 85/15 or 90/10 recommended
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 large parsnip peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 1 cup peas optional
- 1 vine-ripened tomato diced
- 6 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally until onion is richly golden-brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sauteing another 2 minutes.
- Scoot the vegetables off to one side of the stock pot and add the ground beef. Allow it to brown for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side another 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces and stir well. Note: If your meat has a lot of fat content and you prefer less fat, drain the fat after it has rendered.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables have reached desired done-ness, about 10 to 15 minutes. Note: If you’re able to allow the soup to cook for longer, it will become even more flavorful if you allow it to cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Just be sure you keep it covered and cook it on the lowest setting to ensure it isn’t boiling.
Nutrition
