Braised Vegetable Beef Soup (Printable version)

Hearty soup with tender braised beef, fresh vegetables, and savory broth perfect for cold days.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
10 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Liquids & Seasonings

11 - 6 cups beef broth
12 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
13 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes in batches, searing until browned on all sides. Remove browned beef and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
04 - Return the beef to the pot. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen flavor. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
05 - Stir in potatoes and green beans. Simmer covered for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are fork-tender and beef is easily shred with a fork.
06 - Add frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes until heated through. Remove and discard bay leaves.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The braising technique transforms budget-friendly beef chuck into something that tastes like it cooked all day (because it kind of did)
  • Every vegetable gets its moment to shine while becoming impossibly tender in the process
  • This soup somehow tastes even better the next day, making it the gift that keeps on giving
02 -
  • Crowding the pan when browning beef will steam it instead of searing it, so work in batches if needed
  • Letting the tomato paste cook with the beef for those couple minutes develops a depth of flavor you cant get any other way
  • The soup might seem thick at first, but the vegetables will release more liquid as they cook
03 -
  • Dont rush the browning step—those caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot are where all the flavor lives
  • Taste and season at the very end, as the flavor concentrates during cooking

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