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
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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!!!)
This was amazing! Really well balanced and so delicious even my picky vegetarian 9 y.o. devoured it. I have tried beef stews / soups before and all have failed. Thank you Nagi, I’m currently addicted to working my way through your recipes 🙂
Haven’t made this yet but I feel we’re going to love it as a family as we always do 😍
Question : For non alcoholic sub, can I use 400 g of passata instead of crushed tomatoes? Will add the Worcestershire sauce as per your directions.
We don’t like crushed tomatoes 🙈
Superb! I served it with garlic bread (excellentas well) and basked in appreciation. My only modifications were more garlic, half the flour and a bit more meat – trifling.
Thank you Nagi, this is well done!
Could it be made on a instant pot?
Yes Mercedes, that should work although you might have to simmer on the stove with the lid off at the end if it’s too thin. N x
Thank you Nagi! I am so looking forward to eat this soup.
Amazingly LEKKER! 🇿🇦
Never really enjoyed soup until I found this recipe and your butternut soup. Absolutely delicious! Family loves it, friends love it, winner all around. Although I must say, prep takes me at least 1h15min 😂
Thank you for another 5 star recipe Nagi!
Looks mouth waterijlngly GOOD I’m starting this recipe after i send this..7 deg sw qld at 4.50 pm.
The perfect night to partake of this delightful fare.
I’ll be using some bonox and i have some left over cooked rice I’ll pop in near the end.
I use whatevers at hand and no waste.
Been with you for years but signed up again to get your free rec. Books….lol.
Always appreciate your and Dozers classy, healthy and quality but easy recipes.
Thanks from an old fella in the outback.
Awww Roger thank you for commenting!! And thanks for being such a loyal recipe user!! Enjoy! N x
Thoroughly enjoyed this recipe! I especially loved the ‘fall apart’ beef. Could the ‘fall apart’ beef be incorporated into your Minestrone soup? If so, at what point would you add the aggressively (🤣) browned beef? Thanks!
Making this tomorrow. I am going to experiment with cooking a side of barley. I didn’t want to commit to full on beef barley. I’d like to mention a thought on cooking with alcohol. For someone with an addiction to alcohol or in recovery might be tempted to finish off the bottle. Me for one. Eating something with cooked alcohol is fine for me.. Its having the nearly full bottle. If only small quantities were sold. Like a half cup. I can say no to the full bottle but why risk it. I do miss cooking with wine. I do buy that cooking wine sometimes. Esp for marsala. Just thought I’d put my thoughts out there. I saw some recipes for beefy soup ( I just made great bone broth) to add a bit of balsalmic. Happy cooking everyone! Thanks Nagi! My kid likes your recipe for sheet pan veggies. He’s 47! Kid approved! Haha. He found your site. He cooks about half the half the time and his wife the rest.
Hi, l am cooking this for dinner tonight but l just wanted to thank you for bringing my family together around the table always eating a delightful variety of dishes from you. You are amazing at making the simplest food taste scummy
I hope you meant scrummy as in scrumptious!! 😂 N x
Haha this gave me a good chuckle! 😅😅
Hi Nagi, love your recipes, all so good 🙂 I was thinking of making this but prior to cooking on the stovetop, transferring it to a slow cooker, yes or no ?
That should work fine Barry as you are cooking it covered anyway. It might take a bit longer in the slow cooker depending on your cooker. N x
Nagi, you complete star ! This recipe is fabulous and went down a bomb even with the picky eaters in the house.
I added mushroom stock as well as beef stock and a pinch of cep powder. Just delicious.
While I’m here, can I also say your recipes are awesome, you taught me to cook fantastic asian dishes that my family love.
Keep on keeping on. 🤗
Woo hoo Elaine!! Thanks for that feedback!! N x
I used the leftover roast, carrots, potatoes, onions and celery plus the beef stock from Easter Sunday dinner. After sampling this, it is amazing. It’s for dinner tonight.
I made this tonight using home made beef stock. I added parsnips. Absolutely delicious!
This was excellent even though I used ground beef made into flattened meatballs since supply chain issues have made beef difficult to find in my neck of the woods. Followed all directions otherwise except for timing.
Very inventive Elle! N x
I haven’t followed a recipe to make soup in DECADES, But this was intriguing and – oh my, oh so delicious! Already thought of several ways to “tweak” it, but it sure doesn’t need to be tweaked!
If you’re on the fence on whether to make it — go for it!
Thanks Kelly! N x
Made this today. It differs from my normal recipe only in regards to the Guinness and Tomato paste. But what a difference those two made! Big wonderful flavors.
I usually make a tomato based soup – so this one was different for me. It was not just delicious, but was beautiful, as well. I was delighted with the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Nagi!!!!
You did it again. This was amazing. I doubled up on recipes and used your beef stock recipe for the beef stock here. Comfort food at its finest. My only change was using fresh bay leaves and fresh thyme. Definitely a keeper. For anyone who hasn’t made the beef stock, it’s amazing as well!!!
Homemade beef stock takes everything up a notch! Nothing like it!! We made 9 litres the other day and popped it in the freezer to have on hand! N x
Yum, yum & yum!!
Had to double the recipe to feed the family and it got rave reviews!! Had some red pino opened, so used it – thanks for an amazing recipe.
Made as instructed…almost; added fresh green beans and corn off the cob, left out the peas. Paired well with a roaring fire, NFL football & the balance of the stout. Thanks for providing the recipe!
Everything goes better with a roaring fire, football and beer! N x
Could I put escarole in this?