Homemade Vegetable Soup

Nothing beats this homemade vegetable soup recipe made with hamburger meat and plenty of fresh vegetables that includes carrots, celery, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and black beans. Slowly simmered in chicken broth and juice from tomatoes, you're going to love every bite of this veggie soup!

Jump to:

• Quick Recipe Overview
• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
• 💭 Expert Tips
• 🥣 Other Soup Recipes You'll Love
• Homemade Vegetable Soup

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This healthy and comforting homemade vegetable soup is perfect to make when the weather starts to cool off in the fall months. Cooked in a large stockpot, this autumn soup is made with ground beef and root vegetables. Each bite has a mild tex mex flavor which makes this one of the best vegetable soup recipes you'll make in your own kitchen.

Vegetable soup with classic ingredients like carrots and celery tastes so good, but when you add in a fresh chopped red bell pepper, black beans, and cumin the flavor intensifies significantly. Chicken broth mixed with tomato juice adds a rich and savory flavor that makes this so hearty and delicious! Easy to make, this recipe yields a huge pot of beef vegetable soup that is a cozy and nourishing meal all will enjoy! If you're ready to take your cooking skills to the next level, then this homemade soup recipe is for you!

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🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

The reason a lot of other homemade vegetable soup recipes are bland is because they just dump in the ingredients and go. This beef vegetable soup yields so much flavor because we start by sautéing the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. This process allows those robust flavors to be absorbed by the other vegetables. By the time you add the chopped bell pepper, sliced raw carrots, and celery, the olive oil should be completely absorbed. As you continue to sauté, the vegetables start to caramelize which is what adds an enormous amount of flavor.

The combination of tomato juice and chicken broth make up the base of this vegetable soup recipe and also adds an impressive flavor unlike other recipes out there. The addition of petite diced tomatoes provides a nice mild tomato flavor. Chili powder and cumin pair amazingly well and helps delivers a savory and comforting flavor. And the addition of black beans helps add to the tex mex flavor. Ground beef is my meat of choice for this veggie soup. I use a higher fat percentage of meat because it adds additional flavor.

🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Using a large skillet, brown the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain the fat and put the ground beef on a plate. Set aside.

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Next, heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. The key is to ensure the skillet it very hot. Once hot, add the finely chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Then, add in the chopped red bell pepper, carrots, and celery and continue to sauté for about 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables start to caramelize and have softened.

Add the chili powder and ground cumin to the sautéed vegetables and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the caramelized vegetables into the large pot and pour in the chicken stock, drained and rinsed black beans, ground hamburger meat, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Bring the contents to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When it has finished cooking, pour evenly into four bowls and top with your favorite toppings.

And that's all it takes to make the this homemade vegetable soup! The secret to making the best recipe for vegetable soup is taking the time to combine the flavors properly through caramelizing the vegetables. Using a higher fat content of ground beef also helps. Try serving this with my Quick Peppery Cheese Bread! The savory cheese and black pepper pairs perfectly with the flavors in this homemade vegetable soup!

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

💭 Expert Tips

• When making this recipe, use chicken stock instead of chicken broth. Chicken stock works better in this recipe because it's a thicker liquid. It contains gelatin and more protein because it's derived from the bones of the chicken. Chicken broth is a bit lighter in flavor and while it works when you are in a bind, it won't provide as much flavor as the chicken stock.
• While just about any vegetable can be used to make this homemade vegetable soup, there are certain kinds that don't work well. Avoid using radishes, beets, artichokes, turnips, and rutabagas.
• Store this soup covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
• Top this soup with crumbled tortilla chips. Saltine crackers also work well.
• Adding fresh parsley, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, or plain Greek Yogurt also taste amazing!

🥣 Other Soup Recipes You'll Love

Everyone knows I love soups and stews and I eat them all year long! If you loved this hamburger vegetable soup, then you have to try my Hamburger Soup recipe. Also called "kitchen sink soup, this one is made with basic pantry ingredients that are loaded with hearty ground beef in a comforting beef and tomato based broth. Loaded with corn, carrots, squash, and zucchini, this is a vegetable ground beef soup everyone will enjoy! It's perfect for an easy weeknight meal!

Another favorite of mine is this Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup). It's incredibly tasty, creamy, and extremely flavorful. The subtle taste of lemon is out-of-this-world! And my Chicken Tortilla Soup...this one is made in the crockpot and only takes 15 minutes to prepare! Made with tender shredded chicken, black beans, sweet corn, and fresh zucchini, this vegetable based tortilla soup recipe is both healthy and delicious.

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in September 2015, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and tips in September of 2022.