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Bowl of hot vegetable soup with ground beef, carrots, potatoes, green beans, and corn, served with crackers.

Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup with Ground Beef

Hearty and easy vegetable soup with ground beef, tender potatoes, green beans, and a savory tomato-based broth, perfect for chilly days or busy weeknights.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Serving Size 8 servings

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon minced dried garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced dried onion
  • 4 medium carrots, diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 7 medium potatoes cubed (russet potatoes, yellow or red potatoes)
  • 12 ounces green beans frozen
  • 15 ounces canned corn, drained (or 1½ cups frozen)
  • 6 –8 cups beef broth
  • 15 ounces of tomato sauce
  • 3 large bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil

Instructions

  • Place a large pot or a large Dutch oven on the stove and turning the heat to medium-high. Add the pound of ground beef and cook while breaking it apart with a spoon. Continue cooking until the beef is fully browned and no pink remains. If there is extra grease in the pot, carefully drain it off.
  • Lower the heat to medium and add the minced garlic and minced onion. Stir the dried minced onion and garlic into the browned beef and cook 1 minute
  • Add the diced carrots, cubed potatoes, and frozen green beans to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then stir to combine.
  • Add the parsley, basil, thyme, marjoram, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Turn the heat back up to medium-high heat and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Simmer on medium-low until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  • Stir in the corn during the last 5–10 minutes of cooking, just until heated through. Remove the bay leaves, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Notes

  • To make it easier, use frozen vegetables instead of fresh — they’re already chopped, which saves prep time.
  • Adjust the broth to your desired consistency: use 6–8 cups of beef broth—more for a thinner, soupier consistency, less for a thicker, stew-like soup.
  • For leaner meat, use extra lean ground beef or swap in ground turkey.
  • Instead of beef broth, you can use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
  • To add more veggies, try green peas, lima beans, sweet potato, or colorful bell peppers.