Name: Grandma's Beef and Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 73 min
Total time: 83 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 lbs beef cubes (see notes below for alternatives); 2 cups potatoes (peeled and diced ); 2 carrots (peeled and diced); 1 onion (diced); 1 cup green beans (frozen or canned, see notes below ); 1 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned, see notes below); 1 cup peas (frozen or canned, see notes below ); 24 oz V8 spicy vegetable juice; 1 cup beef broth; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; olive oil (for searing )

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Grandma's Beef and Vegetable Soup is pure comfort food. Made with beef stew meat and a variety of veggies, you're going to love it. But don't forget Grandma's secret to an easy soup - using Spicy V8 juice for extra flavor!

looking down on a white wooden background sits a tan, checkered napkin with a spoon on top on the right side. On the left is a bowl of tomato based beef and vegetable soup. under the bowl is a blue plate and there are two pieces of buttered bread stacked on top of each other.

Update: This recipe was originally posted in October 2013. The recipe, instructions and photos have been updated and republished in January 2021.

When my mother in law found out that I liked to cook, she sent me over a bunch of family recipes. This one came from Tom's grandmother and is the perfect soup for those chilly nights as it's rich and filling and will definitely warm you up!

top down view - looking a spoon lifting the ingredients of a tomato based beef and vegetable soup. Under the bowl of soup is a blue plate and a tan checkered napkin.

What is Grandma's Beef and Vegetable Soup?

This version of soup is a standard old-fashioned soup recipe featuring meat, potatoes and vegetables made with ingredients you likely have on hand. There's nothing gourmet about it and there's no fancy way to prepare the soup. The soup is easily frozen and can be doubled or halved, depending on how many servings you need. It's also versatile, meaning you can use fresh, frozen or canned vegetables to make this, all depending on what you have.

ingredients for grandma's beef and vegetable soup sit on a white wooden background. Top row - diced potatoes, carrots, corn and green beans in glass dishes. Bottom row - carton of beef stock, container of V8 spicy vegetable juice, bowl of diced onions, bowl of frozen peas, bowl of beef cubes and small containers holding salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano.

🥘 Ingredients for this recipe

beef stew meat or a chuck roast
potatoes
onion
carrots
corn
green beans
peas
Spicy V8 vegetable juice
beef stock
garlic powder
dried oregano
salt and pepper
olive oil

🔪Instructions for this recipe

First, sear the beef. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper and cook in a large skillet with olive oil until browned on all sides. (You may need to work in batches to cook all of the beef) Add beef to a large stock pot.
Next, add flavor to your vegetables. Add onions and carrots with a little beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Once vegetables are just barely softened, transfer them to the stock pot.
Then, cook the soup. Add in the potatoes, corn and green beans then pour the vegetable juice and beef stock on top. Stir in the garlic powder and dried oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 1 hour. Add in the peas and cook 3 more minutes.
Finally, divide into bowls and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or bread.

Substitutions and Serving Suggestions

Carrots, Green Beans, Peas and Corn - You can use all fresh vegetables, frozen ones, canned ones or a combination. If using canned, you'll need an 8 oz can of each, no-salt-added if you can find it.
Spicy V8 Vegetable Juice - I'm sure grandma used this as an easy one-ingredient way to impart flavor into the soup. I like the low-sodium version. However, you can use the non-spicy variety or 2 cans of tomato soup + 1 additional cup of beef broth instead.
Serving: serve this soup with buttered bread or crackers. A garden salad is a great accompaniment.

Photo is taken looking down on the soup. There is a white wooden background. On the left is a blue plate with stacked slices of buttered bread. Next to the bread is a tomato based Grandma's beef and vegetable soup. To the right of the bread is a folded, tan, checkered napkin with a spoon on top.

FAQ's about beef and vegetable soup

What is the best cut of meat for beef soup? Beef cubes/stew meat is called for in this recipe, but it can be expensive. Chuck roast is great for soup and it's typically more affordable to buy one and cut it up yourself. You'll need 1 ¼ lbs of roast cut into 1 or 2 inch cubes. Chuck shoulder and top chuck are other cuts of meat that will work well.
How to add flavor to soup? Start by browning your meat which will lock in a stronger flavor. Then scrape up those browned bits and add them back into the soup. Aromatic veggies, like carrots and onions will amp up the flavor, and finally using the V8 adds for a flavorful broth. Also, the longer you simmer the soup, the more flavor there will be.

Image is looking down at the bowl of Grandma's Beef and Vegetable Soup. White wooden background with a blue plate on the left. Left side of the plate is stacked slices of buttered bread. Next to that, in a white bowl is the beef and vegetable soup. On the right side of the image is a folded tan, checkered napkin with a spoon on top.

Other Recipes You'll Love:

Check out Grandma's Gobs if you're looking for a sweet option from Grandma's kitchen
Not feeling beef? Make my Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup or Spicy Italian Pasta Soup

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Recipe

tomato based beef and vegetable soup sits in a white bowl on a blue plate. under it is a tan napkin. Image is top view looking down into the bowl of soup

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Grandma's Beef and Vegetable Soup

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 13

Total Time1 23

Course: Beef, Entree, Soup and Stew

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef vegetable soup, grandmas beef and vegetable soup, old fashioned beef vegetable soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 279kcal

Author: NicholeL

Ingredients

1 ¼ lbs beef cubes see notes below for alternatives
2 cups potatoes peeled and diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 onion diced
1 cup green beans frozen or canned, see notes below
1 cup corn kernels frozen or canned, see notes below
1 cup peas frozen or canned, see notes below
24 oz V8 spicy vegetable juice
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil for searing

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef cubes and sear on all sides. Transfer beef cubes to a large stock pot.
Add carrots and onions to the skillet, with a splash of beef broth and cook for 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to the stock pot.
Add the potatoes, green beans and corn, followed by the V8 vegetable juice, beef broth and seasonings. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Add in the peas and cook for 3 minutes more.
Divide soup into bowls, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with buttered bread or crackers.

Notes

Substitutions: cut up a chuck roast instead of purchasing beef cubes. If using canned veggies, you'll need the 8 oz cans, preferably in the no-salt-added variety, if you can find it. Regular V8 (not spicy) can be used or replace it with 2 cans of condensed tomato soup and add in 1 additional cup of beef broth.

Nutrition

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