Plento Pasto CookbookClassic Beef and Vegetable Soup
⏱ 55 min
🍽 Serves 4
≈ $13.85 ($3.46/serving)
novice
Why this fits a family on a budget
This is the from-scratch beef and vegetable soup found in every church cookbook and family recipe box for the past fifty years — simple browned beef, tender potatoes, and familiar vegetables in a savory tomato-beef broth. It requires no special skills and uses nothing a standard grocery store doesn't carry.
Ingredients
• 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 32 oz beef broth
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, canned
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
• 2 stalks celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 0.5 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel, then add them to the pot in a single layer. Brown the beef for 3–4 minutes without stirring, then stir and brown another 2–3 minutes until the pieces are deep brown on most sides. The beef does not need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the tomato paste and garlic powder, stirring constantly for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
3. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and the entire can of diced tomatoes with their liquid. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Once boiling, add the cubed potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and the beef pulls apart easily when pressed with a spoon.
5. Stir in the frozen green beans and frozen corn. Cook uncovered for 5 more minutes until the vegetables are heated through and tender. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crackers or crusty bread.
Contains: soy. Always double-check labels for your household's allergies.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
Plan a whole week like this — free
Plento Pasto plans a week of family dinners around the grocery budget you set and what's already in your kitchen. Free to plan, no ads.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
← Browse more budget-friendly dinners