Nothing beats my mom’s slow-cooked vegetable soup. It’s a labor of love that starts with stew meat in the slow cooker overnight and is finished the next day with tons of fresh veggies. As a kid, I could often convince her to add macaroni, too. It’s amazing and so chock full of flavor. It’s my favorite cold-weather food. Served with some delicious cornbread (be it my Hot Water Cornbread or this delicious 5-Ingredient Cornbread from FaveSouthernRecipes), it might be one of my all-time favorites. Nothing says “home” quite like it.
But I don’t always have time to invest in a recipe quite like that one. So I took her classic recipe, altered it a bit, and made it super simple and pretty dang quick. With a few shortcuts, you can have the delicious flavor of Mom’s vegetable soup in 45 minutes or less. And this one ain’t missing out on flavor … seriously. An easier recipe certainly doesn’t mean a bland recipe.
A few things to consider: Make sure to pay attention to the type of mixed veggies you buy. There are some varieties out there that are a mix specifically for soups. It might have some onion already in there, so you’ll need to decide if you want to eliminate the fresh onion called for in the recipe. Some of them I’ve seen even have potatoes in them, so that can be another time saver. I just prefer the texture of fresh potatoes and typically like lots of them in my vegetable soup. The bag I used for this recipe had lima beans, green beans, carrots, corn, peas and okra in it. It was the perfect blend.
Y’all are going to love this one. Give it a try and let me know in the comment below. I just love hearing from y’all! Enjoy!
UPDATE: I’ve had lots of questions about the tablespoon of vinegar at the end of the recipe. This gives the soup a bright pop of flavor since this is such a short cook time. You won’t taste the vinegar at all, I promise. But don’t leave it out.
Quick and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth (4 cups)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¾-inch chunks
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat.
- Drain any excess fat away. Return the meat to the pot and add the onions.
- Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute.
- Add the beef broth and chopped potatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato sauce, tomatoes (undrained) and frozen mixed vegetables.
- Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
- Cook until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in a tablespoon of white vinegar.
This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out The Southern Bite Cookbook.