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Quick Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup (Best Easy Recipe)

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This quick slow cooker beef vegetable soup is proof that you don’t need complicated techniques or a sink full of dirty dishes to make a meal that feels like a hug in a bowl. The beef gets tender, the vegetables soften just right, and the broth develops a richness that tastes like you worked all day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup frozen corn (optional)
  • 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep the vegetables: Dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, and cube the potatoes. Mince the garlic. Try to keep the pieces roughly the same size — about ½-inch — so everything cooks evenly.
  2. Layer the ingredients in the slow cooker: Place the stew meat at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic on top. Don’t stir yet.
  3. Mix the broth: In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, salt, and pepper until the tomato paste is fully dissolved. Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves on top.
  4. Cook: Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. The soup is ready when the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
  5. Add the frozen peas: About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen peas. They don’t need much time — just long enough to warm through.
  6. Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaves. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.

Notes

For the beef, look for well-marbled chuck. If using a leaner cut like sirloin, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the slow cooker. You can swap russet potatoes for Yukon Golds or omit them for a lower-carb version. Frozen peas are non-negotiable for sweetness. Let the soup rest for 15 minutes after cooking for richer flavor. The soup thickens as it sits; add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker beef vegetable soup, easy beef soup, quick beef soup, weeknight dinner, comfort food

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/quick-slow-cooker-beef-vegetable-soup-best-easy-recipe/