If your New Year Resolution was “to eat more vegetables”, this is the soup for you! This soup is loaded with hearty vegetables–almost a dozen!  With the exception of the broth, this soup is more like a stew. You can actually eat the vegetables with a fork. The lean ground beef adds the right amount of rich flavor without adding too much fat.  Seasoning the meat with a generous portion of the Montreal Steak Seasoning (instead of salt) really adds flavor to the soup.  I have become a big fan of Montreal Steak Seasoning over the years and have adopted it as a staple in many of my recipes.  It contains a perfect combination of black and red pepper, salt, onion and garlic.  The flavors of the base of V8 Vegetable Juice and beef broth marry perfectly to make the most delicious, hearty broth.  

I love soup.  Any kind of soup. Any time of year.  

There is just something “comforting” about cozying up with a big bowl of soup. 

Soup is particularly good when it is cold or rainy outside. And this HEARTY VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP is no exception. There are no strict rules and exact ingredients so this soup is easy to make.  As long as you keep the base the same (beef broth and V8 juice) you can add whatever meat and veggies you like. 

I typically add the same ingredients every time. I like to use diced tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery and potatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans and okra.  However, you can add to or take away whatever vegetable you choose. I use a combination of fresh, frozen and canned vegetables in order to use the freshest ingredients and to keep the sodium content down. I have added squash, zucchini and even cabbage, as well as leftover chicken and rice. 

My mom calls this her “refrigerator soup”. 

Mom keeps a large, ziplock freezer bag in the freezer.  If she has leftover food in her refrigerator, whether it be meat, rice or cooked vegetables, she adds them to that bag.  When making the soup, she uses the same beef broth and V8 juice for the soup base, adds a few fresh vegetables, and empties her bag of refrigerator leftovers in the pot. It is absolutely delicious and tastes a little different (but great) each time. This is an excellent way to use leftovers.  I love to use this method too, however, cooking for 6 or more people every day, I rarely have leftovers to use.  

Although the amount of ingredients may seem daunting, it is really very simple and easy to make.  It is basically a hodge-podge of wholesome ingredients. With the exception of bell peppers (they tend to overpower the other vegetables) you can use any vegetable in this soup. 

Simply use the vegetables you have in your pantry or freezer.  The flavors will cook together and compliment each other. I promise. You can’t mess up this soup!

Please note, as with most of my recipes, this recipe makes enough for a large family or small crowd. Just add bread and you have a complete meal.  ENJOY!

Print

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Kimberly

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning McCormick Grill Mates
• 2 onions diced
• 4 carrots sliced
• 4 celery diced
• 4 potatoes diced (with or without skins)
• 1 15oz kernal corn frozen bag or can
• 1 15oz okra frozen bag or can
• 1 15oz lima beans frozen bag or can
• 1 15oz green beans frozen bag or can
• 1 28oz petite diced tomatoes
• 2 32oz boxes of beef broth
• 1 64oz V8 100% Vegetable Juice Original

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef with onions and Montreal Steak seasoning

2. Drain and return to stock pot.

3. Add remaining ingredients. 

4. Stir well and bring to a boil.

5. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

6. Turn heat on low and simmer for an additional 40 minutes.