Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup is one of my favorite comfort meals. Full of ground beef and vegetables, this hearty soup is absolutely delicious and perfect for those cooler nights that fall, and winter bring.

Growing up, I loved when my dad would make this soup for dinner. He would often use the leftover vegetable sides from earlier in the week. Which is a fantastic way to utilize leftovers and stretch your food.

If you are looking for a way to use up those leftover vegetables that are lingering around in your refrigerator, this recipe is perfect. My favorite leftover vegetable to use in this soup is leftover black-eyed peas. Leftover black-eyed peas add so much flavor to this soup.

I always use potatoes when making this soup because they make a great filler. Other vegetables that I like to always use are diced tomatoes, onions and carrots. Customizing this recipe is very easy to do. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand or need to use up.

Keep in mind that if you use leftovers you will need to account for the salt in those leftovers and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is a one pot meal. I'm always happy with meals that have little clean up afterwards. It is also freezer friendly. Which is a bonus in my book. Anytime I can make dishes in big batches and freeze some I do.

Freezing the Soup

Freezing this soup is really easy. You can freeze it in freezer bags or airtight containers. I like to portion the soup for lunches or dinners.

Allow the soup to cool completely before sealing the container/freezer bag and freezing.

You can freeze this soup for up to 6 months or longer if Vacuum Sealed.

How to Make Vegetable Beef Soup

In a large pot over medium heat start browning the meat, crumble the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Season with the salt and pepper. While the meat is browning add in the onions and continue cooking until the meat is cooked through, and the onions are soft.

Keep in mind that you may need more salt and pepper than what this recipe calls for since I used leftover black-eyed peas in my soup. Also, if you are using leftover vegetables you may need to season accordingly.

Next, add in the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Remove the meat mixture from the pan and strain off the fat.

In the same pot, over medium-high heat, add the beef stock, potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the remaining vegetables and the meat mixture to the pot. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve with a big piece of buttered Buttermilk Cornbread.