Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup is simple to make, loaded with all your favorite vegetables, and is a hit with the whole family.

Weather in southern Utah is just starting to really feel cold and we have our first snow on the radar for the weekend. I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite slow cooker recipes today that I have been making for years and years. There are all kinds of things to love about Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Stew and I’m here to tell you about them. It’s super easy to make – hello slow cooker. Once you get everything in the slow cooker, you set it and forget it. I love a meal that I can prep in the morning and not thing about the rest of the day.

I also love that this soup is super vegetable heavy. It’s a great meal to keep on rotation through the holidays when the sweets seem to be around every corner. I don’t mind my family eating sweets but I do try to balance all that out with kid-friendly vegetable-filled meals as often as I can. It’s all about balance. And the great thing about this soup is that it’s super forgiving. You can use canned, frozen, or fresh vegetables in just about any combination that you like. It’s one of those recipes that might come out a little different every time you make it, depending on what you have and throw in, but it always tastes great.

Tips and Tricks for Making Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

• This soup is super flexible when it comes to the vegetables, so use what you like and what you have. You can add just about anything you have in the quantities that you like. I also like to add yellow summer squash or zucchini, roughly chopped green cabbage, or even beets. Just be sure you have enough broth/tomato juice to fill the slow cooker 3/4 of the way up the side.
• Feel free to use frozen or canned vegetables as needed depending on season and availability.
• This veggie-filled dinner is great with a side of cornbread, whole wheat bread, or super simple no-knead bread (this one needs to sit a little while, so make it in the morning when you get the soup in the slow cooker).
• America’s Test Kitchen does product reviews and they said that this Kitchen Aid slow cooker was their #1 choice. I just got it and love it. Is it crazy that I’m excited to have three slow cookers? I have two going often. 🙂

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Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup is simple to make, loaded with all your favorite vegetables, and is a hit with the whole family.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 pounds stew beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups new potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups fresh green beans
• 3-4 carrots, sliced
• 6 ears of sweet corn, cut from the cob
• 4 cups whole tomatoes in their own juice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add your stew meat and sear well on all sides. Place the seared stew meat pieces in the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Return the cast iron skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and onion to the slow cooker.
3. Add any and all vegetables that you plan on using to the slow cooker. Make sure they are washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. When adding the tomatoes in their own juice, crush them in your hand to break them into smaller pieces as you pour them in or give them a light chop before adding.
5. Add the chicken stock.
6. Add the salt, pepper, and bay leaves, and stir the contents of your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5. Your soup is ready when your potatoes and carrots are tender. Remove bay leaves, stir in parsley, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Notes

This is a vegetable mix and match, so use what you like and what you have. You can add just about anything you have in the quantities that you like. I also like to add yellow summer squash or zucchini, roughly chopped green cabbage, or even beets. Feel free to use frozen or canned vegetables as needed depending on season and availability.

I can’t wait for you to try this Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup recipe! It’s one of our favorites that I make it over and over again and I know it’ll become a favorite fast and healthy meal in your kitchen, too. Enjoy!