Pioneer Woman's vegetable beef soup is one of the best soups for cold days. It includes a delicious mixture of fresh vegetables and beef that is perfect to serve with fresh bread and butter and a tossed green salad. Here is how to make it and store it.
What is Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup?
Pioneer Woman's vegetable beef soup is similar to hamburger vegetable soup in that it contains ground beef and vegetables such as onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and various seasonings. However, the soup uses ground chuck rather than traditional ground beef.
It is not necessary to use ground chuck, though, as you can also use simple ground beef. It is also possible to substitute water for beef stock, but the soup will have a much lighter beef flavor.
Pioneer Woman's vegetable beef soup is quite thick, but you can make it more fluid by adding more broth or water.
Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck/beef
- 1 whole large onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (about 14.5 ounces) can whole tomatoes
- 3 cup beef stock or beef broth, plus more as needed
- 1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 whole carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
- 5 whole red potatoes, cut into chunks
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ tablespoon black pepper, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- ½ tablespoon ground oregano
- ¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
How to Make Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup
1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with the onion, celery, and garlic until the beef is browned and the vegetables are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool.
3. Once it's cooled, drain off as much fat as you can.
4. Return the pot to the heat and add the tomatoes, beef stock, bell peppers, carrots, red potatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and cayenne pepper.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
7. Continue cooking the soup until it reaches the desired thickness if necessary.
8. The soup should be somewhat thick, but you can make it more "soupy" by adding 1 to 2 cups more broth or hot water and heating it thoroughly.
9. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
10. Serve with crusty bread and any side dish of your choice.
How Do You Add Flavor to Beef Soup?
If you would like to improve the taste of your beef vegetable soup, try roasting your vegetables before adding them to the soup. This will give them a charred flavor, thus giving the soup a richer taste. A combination of roasted root vegetables, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, and any other veggies you like will improve the flavor of the soup.
How Do You Thicken Vegetable Beef Soup?
You can thicken the soup by simmering it uncovered for a few minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate and reduce. Another option is to add flour. You can use about 1 to 2 tablespoon of white or whole wheat flour mixed with ½ cup of cold water. Once they are mixed together, simply pour it into the soup and allow the soup to simmer until it is thickened.
How to Store Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup
- Store in the Fridge: A properly stored beef and vegetable soup will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Firstly, let the soup cool to room temperature before pouring it into glass containers (don't use plastic containers) and store it in the fridge.
- Store in the Freezer: You can store beef vegetable soup in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply let the soup cool to room temperature before pouring it into sealable freezer bags or containers.
How to Defrost Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup
- Defrost in the Fridge: The best way to defrost beef vegetable soup or any kind of frozen soup is to place the frozen container of soup in the fridge for 2 days before you want to use it. The time will vary based on the size and shape of the storage container, but it will normally take less than 2 days.
- Warm Water Bath: It will take about 10 to 15 minutes for the soup to completely thaw using the warm water bath method. Fill a kitchen sink with warm water, and then place the container inside. Let the container sit in the sink for 10 to 15 minutes or until the ice starts to melt. The soup will be ready when it starts to separate from the sides of the container.
Please Note: Do not thaw frozen soups in the microwave, especially when the soup is in a plastic container. Using a microwave to heat plastic can lead to chemicals leaching into your food, which could cause serious health problems.
How to Reheat Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup
- Reheat in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the cold beef vegetable soup in an oven-safe bowl. Cover with foil or an oven-safe lid to help keep the dish moist and fresh. Heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the soup reaches 170 F to 180 F.
- Reheat in the Microwave: It is recommended that you heat beef vegetable soup in the microwave for approximately 3 minutes, stirring every 60 seconds to ensure the soup heats evenly.
- Reheat in the Crockpot: The most effective way to reheat soups is in a crockpot. Place the leftover beef vegetable soup in the pot, cover with the lid, and heat on high (stirring occasionally), until the temperature reaches 165 F.
- Reheat in the Air Fryer: It is not a good idea to reheat soup in the air fryer as it was not invented to heat liquids.
Note: For frozen beef vegetable soup, make sure to defrost the soup before reheating it and then use any of the recommended methods above.
What to Serve With Pioneer Woman's Vegetable Beef Soup
This soup goes great with baguette and whatever kind of bread you like. You can also serve it with salads such as cucumber salad and potato salad.
Here are some ideas of what to serve with Pioneer Woman's beef vegetable soup:
- Corn Salad
- Costco's Bibigo Dumplings
- Costco's Cauliflower Rice
- Costco's Chicken Alfredo
- Green Bean Casserole
- Ina Garten's Crab Cakes
- Pioneer Woman's Corn Casserole
Frequently Asked Questions
Properly stored homemade beef vegetable soup can last in for fridge for about 4 to 5 days. Make sure to cool the soup to room temperature before storing it in the fridge.
Consider adding acid to the soup rather than salt if it tastes bland. You can brighten up the soup with a squeeze of lemon, lime, or a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Usually, beef vegetable soup should be simmered for between 20 and 30 minutes until the water evaporates and the soup thickens. The simmering time depends on how thick you would like the soup.
Pioneer Woman’s Vegetable Beef Soup
Pioneer Woman’s vegetable beef soup is one of the best soups for cold days. It includes a delicious mixture of fresh vegetables and beef that is perfect to serve with fresh bread and butter and a tossed green salad. Here is how to make it and store it.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck/beef
- 1 whole large onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (about 14.5 ounces) can whole tomatoes
- 3 cup beef stock or beef broth, plus more as needed
- 1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 whole carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
- 5 whole red potatoes, cut into chunks
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ tablespoon black pepper, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- ½ tablespoon ground oregano
- ¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot set over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with the onion, celery, and garlic until the beef is browned and the vegetables are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool.
- Once it’s cooled, drain off as much fat as you can.
- Return the pot to the heat and add the tomatoes, beef stock, bell peppers, carrots, red potatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and cayenne pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
- Continue cooking the soup until it reaches the desired thickness if necessary.
- The soup should be somewhat thick, but you can make it more “soupy” by adding 1 to 2 cups more broth or hot water and heating it thoroughly.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Serve with crusty bread and any side dish of your choice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 1120Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 220mgSodium: 1372mgCarbohydrates: 95gFiber: 12gSugar: 14gProtein: 83g
Mary
If using potatoes in your soup it's best not to freeze them. They Do NOT freeze well and will be horribly mushy in your mouth... like, not good!
I suggest if using potatoes in your soup and you want to freeze some scoop the potato chunks out!