Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe - Talking Meals (2024)

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This Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe is a delicious soup that’s comforting and hearty with loads of veggies! Make it in the slow cooker or on the stove top.

Looking for a way to add tons of flavor to vegetable soup and add some curb appeal for your whole family? Well, then this Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe is a great way to do just that! Browned ground beef, fresh vegetables, a tomato-based broth, and wonderful herbs and seasonings come together to make one fantastic and hearty soup. Each bite gives you meaty ground beef, tangy tomatoes, sweet carrots, and flavorful onions, garlic, and herbs.

Best part is that it all simmers in a slow cooker, so you can go about your day! You come into the house on a chilly day and immediately smell the wonderful aroma of this one pot meal. Then you can sit and enjoy a warm bowl of this ground beef, veggie, and tomato soup.

Do you meal plan your dinners? It makes weeknights so much easier! Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this recipe to your Slow Cooker Saturdays meal planning calendar!

Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier? Click here for myFree Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!

Soup is a Great Family Dinner!

Soup is usually thought of as a lunch option or an appetizer or first course for a dinner. But, soup can also be the main event at the dinner table!

Soups are great dinner go-tos because they can be cooked ahead and reheated so easily. Fantastic easy meal prep option!

They can sit in a slow cooker for families where you have multiple dinner times depending on activities, work, or other scheduling reasons.

You can make a large batch and enjoy it all week!

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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• Lean Ground Beef – I used 90% extra lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Carrots,diced – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can substitute with diced baby carrots, parsnips, or even radishes. You can use frozen carrots as well. Add them frozen.
• Onion,diced – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder. You can use frozen onions as well.
• Stalks Celery,diced – I like to use the stalk and the leaves. You can leave the celery out if you desire. You can also substitute with green pepper.
• Red bell pepper – You can also use green bell pepper, yellow, or orange bell pepper.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano.
• Italian Seasoning – You can substitute dried oregano, marjoram, basil, or a combination.
• Bay Leaf – I used dry, but you can also use fresh.
• Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire is my secret ingredient that really brings that deep flavor, reminiscent of a beef stew. if you don’t have this, you can substitute Soy sauce.
• Beef Brothor stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Chicken broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base orchicken base.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes – I like the chunks of tomato that you get with diced. However, you can substitute in pureed, crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes that you crush with your hands. Tomato sauce will work too. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more deep flavor.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this soup. You don’t have to thicken the soup if you don’t have cornstarch. You can leave it as a thin broth.

Simple Equipment Options

I made this sauce in aslow cooker. However, you could also make it in the oven in adutch ovenon the stove. See the instructions in the notes or below for how to do this.

You also need a medium size frying pan or skillet to brown the beef. This step is not absolutely necessary, but helps the beef’s texture and flavor. I use my absolute favorite12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.

Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with aGarlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for this Soup

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)

For the prep of this soup, you just need to peel, chop, and dice the veggies. Of course, you can make this entire soup ahead and reheat!

Cook this Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe

Preheat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, ground beef, and pinch of salt and black pepper. Break up the meat with a spatula so that you get an even layer. Let the beef get browned for about 3-4 minutes. Stir so that it browns on all sides and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker insert.

To the slow cooker insert, add the carrots, onion, celery, red pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry…broth, broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, and the bay leaf. Set the slow cooker for 4-6 hours high or 8-10 hours low (depending on your schedule).

To a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, add the cold water and cornstarch. Whisk together until dissolved to make a slurry. When there is an hour left in the slow cooker time, add the parsley, then slowly whisk the slurry into the soup. Cover and let it finish cooking.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

ENJOY! 😍 Carrie

Alternative Cooking Methods for this Soup

Stove Top

If you are cooking this on the stove top, I recommend cooking each of the vegetable ingredients before adding the liquids. This way, you are developing the flavors.

Preheat a soup pot, large pot, or large dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, ground beef, and pinch of salt and black pepper. Break up the meat with a spatula so that you get an even layer. Let the beef get browned for about 3-4 minutes. Stir so that it browns on all sides and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the diced carrots, celery, and onion. Stir to combine and then cook for 5 minutes until they glisten and the onions begin to turn translucent.

Add the red pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the broth, tomatoes, and then bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn down the stove to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes until the carrots are soft.

To a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, add the cold water and cornstarch. Whisk together until dissolved to make a slurry. Add the parsley, then slowly whisk the slurry into the soup. Bring back to a boil, stirring as the soup thickens, then cook for another 5 minutes.

Oven

For the oven, follow the steps above or the slow cooker instructions for adding all of the ingredients. Then for the final cooking step, put the covered pot into a preheated 375 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe FAQS

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!