Vegetable beef soup is one of my all time favorite meals especially during fall and winter. There are loads of ways to make it with many delicious flavors, and your soup will come out a little different from mine and from pot to pot.
Start with the Beef
The first thing you want to do is prepare your beef. You can use leftover roast, but I usually start with a pack of stew beef. You don't even need a lot of beef, because it flavors the soup even with just a little meat.
Put cooking oil in a skillet that will hold all your beef chunks. I use about 1 tablespoon of oil - just enough to cover the bottom with a very thin coat of oil. Heat the oil up, and then put the beef chunks in to brown. This adds color and releases flavor which will make the soup richer.
Save the meat while you get the main pot ready.
I like to sprinkle a little Worcestershire on the meat while it's resting.
Add Some Aromatics/Flavors
In the pot you will use to simmer your vegetable beef soup, add a little oil. Again, one tablespoon is a rough estimate.
Let the oil heat up and then add things that will add layers to the flavor of your soup. I almost always have onions to put in and cook until tender/translucent. I also like to add celery in small chunks and carrots in very thin slices. Garlic is a nice addition when I have fresh garlic.
If the pan starts to get too dry with the flavoring items cooking, add a bit of broth (or you can use water).
Add Diced Tomatoes
Once you have cooked your aromatics until the kitchen smells amazing which takes only a few minutes, add a can of petite diced tomatoes. They don't have to be petite diced, but I find the smaller cuts blend better in the soup. The tomatoes also seem to help tenderize the meat.
Simmer the Basic Pot of Soup
At this point, add the browned meat to the pot and stir.
Then, add water and broth to about two inches above the meat and tomatoes. I use beef broth when I have it but also use chicken broth etc if that's what I have in the cabinet. I go approximately half and half with broth to water, although I use all water if out of broth. The soup is richer with some broth at this point.
Add seasonings now (and you can add a little earlier as you go).
Salt and pepper are for sure. Lowry's seasoning salt is a good pick. I like to add a bay leaf. Garlic, parsley, oregano can be added. Get creative here and go with flavors that you like. Use a light hand until you figure out your favorite combinations.
I usually let the pot simmer for four hours or until the beef is fork tender. The last time I made it, I turned the heat to medium and cooked for only two hours, and it turned out good and still tender. So, you can let this go slow all day or speed it up depending on what you need.
The liquid cooks out while the soup is simmering, so check it a couple of times and add water and or broth or a combo. You can start with more liquid if you want or if you have to be away from the stove.
Cook Potatoes
Get a small pot of cold water and add bite sized potato chunks and cook until tender. I add salt and butter to the water.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain off the water and pour the potatoes in with the meat/tomato in the pot.
You can put the potatoes right in the pot with the soup to cook, but it is hard to get them the correct texture. Do them later, and you can be sure they turn out right.
Of course, you can skip potatoes if you don't have any or don't like them.
While I'm peeling and cooking the potatoes, I add water/broth to about half way up the pan of soup, so that it gets warm and blends.
Add Your Vegetables
At this point, add any cooked vegetables you like to the pot. These can be canned or frozen (or cooked homemade). My favorites to add at this point are any or all of these: lima beans, black beans, green beans, corn, hominy, peas.
You can also add any leftover items like rice or pasta at this point, or you could cook and add those like with the potatoes.
At this point, you are just warming what is added and letting the flavors meld (and with these steps not getting a mushy mess). So, let the soup simmer along for another 20 or 30 minutes at a low heat. You can heat hotter and faster if in a hurry, but I like to go slow with homemade soup.
Add more water or broth if needed and to the desired thickness. My sons like really hearty, thick soup.
Ready to Eat
I like to have biscuits or cornbread with soup, but crackers are good and don't require any extra cooking.
A pot of soup is almost always more than we can eat at one meal, but it warms up great. It can also be frozen, but I think it is better to freeze without the potatoes (because the texture gets kind of odd with freezing). You can always cook a little pot of potatoes and add to the heated frozen soup or just eat it without potatoes.
Remember that these directions can be changed up a lot but these are the general steps that I take when making really yummy soup at home.
Hope you enjoy your soup and please add any extra tips in comments for future readers.
