Everybody and their brother has a recipe for vegetable beef soup. The recipes vary as much as the cars that you see on the highway, but MINE is different. ;) It is different because it isn’t really, technically my recipe. It has its origin with my mom.
I made vegetable beef soup a few times in college, and it was good but bland. I asked my mom, who is a superior baker and great cook, for an idea to kick it up a little. She informed me that her trick was V8 juice. I tried it, and she’s right.Â
Now, over the years I have tweaked it a little and made it my own. Frozen vegetables instead of canned, minced garlic and the addition of mushrooms are just a few of the tweaks. The Lucky Wife loves it. End of story.Â
Enjoy.
- 1 2-3 pound London Broil or other lean beef roast
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 8-ounce package portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
- 1 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 16 ounces V8 juice
- water
- kosher salt
- garlic powder
- cracked black pepper, if desired
- approximately 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Cut beef roast into half-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder (and black pepper if desired).Â
- Heat 6-quart non-stick stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add oil and onion. Saute until translucent.
- Add mushrooms and minced garlic and saute until mushrooms are soft. (May need to add more oil as mushrooms absorb oil quickly.)
- Once mushrooms are softened, add diced beef and stir with wooden spoon until meat is brown on all sides. Liquid should start to accumulate in the bottom of the stockpot. Turn temperature down to medium-low in order to prevent liquid from evaporating.
- Once beef has browned on all sides, add enough water to cover. Season with salt, garlic powder, (and pepper, if desired). Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours or until beef is very tender. (NOTE: May have to add water as beef cooks and I usually taste test the beef after about 45 minutes in order to check tenderness and seasoning.)
- Once beef is tender, add tomatoes, potatoes, mixed vegetables, V8 juice and more water (Approximately 3 cups - You want to add enough water to achieve the desired consistency; the more water, the thinner the broth.)
- Simmer for approximately 20-30 more minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Taste test and add more salt (and pepper) as desired. (NOTE: The V8 juice contains sodium. Use caution when adding salt.)
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About the Author
Raised in eastern North Carolina, The Chef has always most loved southern cuisine. While working for a top resort just after finishing Culinary School at Johnson and Wales University, when they still had a campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, he began learning about Gullah cuisine and enjoys it as well. He's a family man and country boy at heart, loves hunting and is a big fan of the John Boy and Billy Big Show and the Carolina Panthers.
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