This Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup recipe can’t be beat for its incredibly rich flavor. Full of tender chunks of beef and loaded with vegetables, it’s a hearty, easy to make dinner for two or a crowd.
Easy Vegetable Beef Soup
This homemade vegetable beef soup recipe has been in my family for years. My mom was a fantastic cook & baker but my dad was excellent in his own right and liked to share kitchen time with her. He loved making breads, coffee cakes and any kind of soup. And I can tell you, when the weather dipped into the single digits and there were feet of snow on the ground, his soups were the highlight of our day.
This easy Vegetable Beef Soup was one of his all time favorites but his Split Pea Soup and Turkey Soup were just as incredible. I actually had to ask my sister for this recipe again, although I have been making it from memory for years, just because I wanted to have it just right to bring to you.
Interestingly enough, she told me the recipe was written on some letterhead from his insurance company and written in story form. No list of ingredients, just a story from start to finish. Yep, that was my dad, an excellent and totally entrancing story teller and short story writer. I miss him so much but this soup always brings a smile to my face just thinking of him!
FAQs About Making Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
Do I have to use rump roast?
Not at all. I like using it because it becomes so tender and has so much flavor but you can also use stew meat or even ground beef.
Do I need to let it simmer for so long?
Absolutely! The simmering is what makes the beef so tender it will melt in your mouth.
Why do I have to wait to add the vegetables?
You can add the vegetables in when you're simmering the meat but they will get very soft. I like mine slightly more crisp so I always wait to add until later.
Is there anything I can add instead of pasta?
Of course. You can opt to add potatoes instead of pasta. Add the potatoes when you add the vegetables to give them enough time to soften. You can also leave a starch out altogether.
How to Make Dad's Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup
- First, to get a rich broth that will absolutely make the soup, brown the meat in a hot stock pot. (photo 1)
- Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil. (photo 2)
- Place meat back in stockpot along with beef marrow bones. (photo 3)
- Pour chopped stewed tomatoes over the top. (photo 4)
- Add beef stock. (photo 5)
- Top with enough water to cover the meat. Simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer you simmer, the richer it will get. (photo 6)
- Add vegetables. I add carrots, celery, parsnips, peas and parsley but you can add in your favorites as well.
- Simmer for another hour. (You can also add potatoes in lieu of the pasta at this point)
- Add pastina, alphabet noodles or orzo. Any small pasta will work.
- Just cook until pasta is done, according to package instructions.
If you can find the alphabet noodles, they're a great incentive to get small children to eat the soup. My sister and I used to have so much fun when we were young spelling words out in our soup. Of course, that never lasted long since the soup was so delicious it got slurped down pretty fast. I mean, just look at that ladle of deliciousness!
You won't believe the enticing aroma that fill the house. In fact, my husband came home from work the day I was making this and the first thing he said was "I can't wait to have some of whatever you're cooking, it smells incredible!" (think there wasn't a huge smile on my face after that). I usually serve this Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup with a side of crackers or my freshly baked French bread. It really is the perfect lunch or dinner to warm you up on a cold winter's day. Enjoy!
Soups You Can Enjoy Any Time of Year
Seafood Gumbo from 2CM
Blender Tomato Basil Soup from 2CM
Cheeseburger Soup from Dancing Through The Rain
Creamy Corn Chowder from 2CM
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HOMEMADE VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. rump roast, cubed
- 4 beef marrow soup bones (optional)
- 30 oz can stewed tomatoes, cut up
- 32 oz. beef broth
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5-6 stalks celery, chopped
- 5-6 carrots, chopped
- 1-2 medium parsnips, chopped
- 10 oz. pkg. frozen peas
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½-3/4 cup alphabet noodles
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add meat and sear to a nice brown, add a little water and scrape bits off bottom, let brown slightly and pour off browned broth into a bowl. Turn meat and sear each side, adding water and pouring off browned broth as you go. This broth is rich and adds a nice depth to the soup but is also totally optional.
- Remove meat from stock pot.
- Add a slight bit of olive oil to the bottom of the pot and sauté onion for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add meat back into stock pot with onions.
- Add bone marrow soup bones, beef broth, stewed tomatoes and enough water to cover beef.
- Bring to boil, lower heat and let simmer, uncovered, on stove for 1-2 hours.
- Add vegetables and seasoning and continue to simmer for another hour.
- Add alphabet noodles and cook for 15 minutes or as directed on package. (pastina can also be substituted and cuts the cooking time to about 6 minutes)
- Serve hot with a side of warm bread or crackers.
Notes
FAQs About Making Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
Do I have to use rump roast?
Not at all. I like using it because it becomes so tender and has so much flavor but you can also use stew meat or even ground beef.Do I need to let it simmer for so long?
Absolutely! The simmering is what makes the beef so tender it will melt in your mouth.Why do I have to wait to add the vegetables?
You can add the vegetables in when you're simmering the meat but they will get very soft. I like mine slightly more crisp so I always wait to add until later.Is there anything I can add instead of pasta?
Of course. You can opt to add potatoes instead of pasta. Add the potatoes when you add the vegetables to give them enough time to soften. You can also leave a starch out altogether.Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos and more information. It was originally published on January 7, 2018.
This soup made the perfect dinner last week!
YUMMY this reminds me of my childhood - that classic soup served for lunch after coming in from the cold! SO delicious.
Aren't those just the best memories! Glad you enjoyed it!