Hands off cooking: Don’t get me wrong, I make my Stovetop Vegetable Beef Soup often and it simmering on the stove top is as comforting as possible on a cold winter day. But to be honest, sometimes I don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. That’s the beauty of this CrockPot vegetable soup recipe. Other than searing the beef stew meat and chopping up the vegetables, there is little hands-on time to do anything else. Most of the work is done by the slow cooker.Stores & Freezes Well: The best part is that you can make a big batch to serve some right away and freeze the rest for later to have soup ready on hand whenever you don’t feel like cooking.A Crowd Pleaser: Serve it by itself with a loaf of crusty no knead bread, bulgur wheat pilaf, or one of my healthy quinoa salads on the side, it is guaranteed to be a great family meal.
Beef Stew Beef – The right cut of beef makes all the difference. I usually buy a whole chuck roast and cut it into smaller pieces myself. However, you can also purchase pre-cut stew meat to make this soup. Below I will go into detail about the other cuts of meat you can use.Kosher Salt + Black Pepper – For seasoning both the beef and slow-cooker stew.Vegetable Oil – My favorite vegetable oils are grapeseed or avocado oil.Onions, Carrots, Celery – Also known as mirepoix, this simple mix of aromatic vegetables offer so much flavor. I like to leave them in large pieces for a chunky beef stew.Garlic – Mince the garlic cloves, so they provide the most intense garlic flavor. Yukon Gold Potatoes – Cut the potatoes in small cubes for size and textural variance in your vegetable beef soup.Diced Tomatoes Fresh Green Beans – Trimmed and cut in half, the smaller size makes it easier to scoop up the green beans with a spoon.Low-Sodium Chicken or Beef Stock – A low-sodium variety helps to control the amount of salt. This way, the seasoning is all up to you! Purchase a high-quality, organic brand for the best flavor or better yet make your own chicken stock.Tomato Juice – Make sure the label reads 100% tomato juice. Frozen Peas – No need to thaw the frozen green peas. The peas are small enough so that they simply warm through in the veggie stew. Or if you have it, you can also use blanched peas.Fresh Parsley
Best cut of beef for soup
I always buy a whole Chuck Roast (also known as Chuck Shoulder, Chuck-Eye Roast, or Top Chuck) and cut it into large chunks (about 1 ½ inch) myself – or ask the butcher behind the counter to do it for me. This is just my personal preference, as stew meat is a mixture of pre-cut cuts of beef, so you never really know what you’re getting. The below passage is from TheKitchn and explains why getting pre-packaged stew meat is not the best option: Chuck Roast is economical and comes with the added bonus of extra marbling (fat) throughout the meat, creating a fall-apart tender beef vegetable soup every time. If you want to try making this soup with other cuts of beef, I would recommend buying Round Tip or London Broil (aka Top Round) and cutting them into smaller chunks.
Fresh vegetables vs frozen vegetables
Crockpot vegetable beef soup with fresh vegetables – I prefer to use fresh vegetables that are in season, except for frozen peas, for the best texture and flavor. The beauty of using fresh vegetables is that you can make this CrockPot vegetable beef stew any time of year with any variety of your favorite vegetables that look best at the market.Slow cooker vegetable beef soup with frozen vegetables – If you do decide to go the frozen vegetable route, omit the fresh carrots, green beans, and frozen peas and purchase a 24-oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead and add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you add the frozen vegetables too early, they will become gummy, overcooked and mushy.
I know it seems like a lot of extra work, but trust me, it’s totally worth it! Taking the extra time to sear produces tender chunks of beef with every bite. The next morning, place everything (except the peas) into the CrockPot, stir and set to cook for the day. Add the peas in 30 minutes before you are ready for dinner. And serve!
With Leftover Pot Roast – A fun and interesting way to use up leftover pot roast in your fridge. Simply skip the seared beef steps, chop the pot roast into 1-inch pieces, and add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker. Cook as directed.Without Potatoes – Replace the potatoes with another root vegetable of choice, such as rutabaga, turnips, or parsnips. Alternatively, use sweet potatoes during the fall months for that extra unique fall flavor.Without Tomatoes – Omitting the tomatoes will also omit the liquid that comes along with them. To replace that moisture, add an additional 2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth.Without Tomato Sauce/Juice – Omit the tomato juice and add an additional 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth.
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