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Chef Amber

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup

A hearty slow cooker soup loaded with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and vegetables in a savory broth. Healthy, cozy, and perfect for an easy dump-and-go dinner.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Everything goes in the slow cooker at once — real dump-and-go convenience.
  • 2 lbs beef stew meat chuck, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
  • 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 large carrots sliced into half-inch rounds
  • 3 stalks celery sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup frozen green beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Fresh parsley for serving

Equipment

  • Easy Variations for Any Week
  • Add a cup of dry red wine — cabernet sauvignon or merlot — along with the broth for a richer, more complex broth with a deeper color and an earthy undertone that makes the soup taste closer to a classic French beef stew without any additional technique or ingredients beyond the wine itself.
  • Add a cup of dry small pasta — elbow macaroni, ditalini, or small shells — in the final 30 minutes of cooking for a beef and vegetable pasta soup that is heartier and more filling and stretches the recipe to feed two additional people from the same pot.
  • Substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes for a slightly sweeter, more nutritionally dense base vegetable that holds its shape well through the long cook and adds a beautiful orange color to the finished soup that makes it look as vibrant as it tastes.
  • Add a parmesan rind to the slow cooker at the start of cooking and remove it before serving — the rind releases proteins and fats into the broth during the long cook that add a savory, umami depth that is difficult to identify specifically but makes the finished soup taste significantly more complex and restaurant-quality.

Method
 

  1. How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup
  2. Step 1 - Optional beef sear: If time allows, pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the beef in batches for 2 minutes per side until deeply browned on at least two surfaces. Transfer to the slow cooker insert. If skipping the sear, season the raw beef with salt and pepper and add directly to the slow cooker.
  3. Step 2 - Layer the vegetables: Place the potato chunks, carrot rounds, and celery slices around and under the beef in the slow cooker — these dense vegetables go on the bottom and sides where the heat is most direct. Add the diced onion and minced garlic over the beef. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the tomato paste, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Do not add the frozen green beans or corn yet — these go in later.
  4. Step 3 - Set and cook: Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking — each lid removal extends the cooking time by 20 to 30 minutes as the temperature inside drops significantly. The soup is ready when the beef is completely fork-tender and falls apart without resistance when pressed with a spoon, and the potatoes and carrots are fully soft when pierced.
  5. Step 4 - Add the frozen vegetables: In the final 30 minutes of cooking, remove the lid and stir in the frozen green beans and frozen corn kernels. Replace the lid and continue cooking on HIGH for the remaining 30 minutes until the green beans are tender but still hold their shape and the corn is heated through. This timing prevents the softer vegetables from overcooking into mush during the main cook and ensures they are perfectly done at the moment of serving.
  6. Step 5 - Finish and serve: Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper — the broth concentrates during the long cook and may need less additional salt than expected, or may need a small additional amount depending on the sodium level of the broth used. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets a generous portion of beef, potatoes, and vegetables alongside the broth. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread or dinner rolls for soaking up the broth.

Notes

Nutrition Facts (per serving): Carbs: 26g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g