Quick and Easy Beef Vegetable Soup

This soup was so simple and tasty! If you want that old fashion comfort soup this is the recipe! I’ve made beef vegetable soup before in the past never satisfied with the results, why? I found the soup had to much tomato flavor. As I’m typing this I’m realizing it could of just been my ratio of canned tomato to broth I used. I decided to look for an alternative to a tomato base soup. I came across the idea to use spicy V8. This was the answer I had been looking for to get the results I really enjoy when I order soup at restaurants like Cracker Barrel.

Ground Beef: You can use whatever fat grade of ground beef you prefer. I used 80/20 because it was on sale. I typically prefer a less fatty beef like 90/10 so that I don’t need to drain fat. However I will say even though I used 80/20 and had to drain the beef fat, I found the texture of the beef so much more tender after the two cook process. The leaner beef is more tough. Choose what you prefer. However don’t drain fat if you use a lean beef. I even prefer a 85/15 ground beef 

V8: I used spicy hot V8 juice, you may use original. However some of the spices the spicy adds will not be in soup. Requiring you too add various spices. Is the soup hot and spicy? Not to me. There is a slight spice for those who are sensitive however if you are not sensitive you won’t notice.

*****Recipe Update 10/31/15********

It was a stormy day in Oregon and was thinking of a budget friendly meal to feed a group of 6ppl. I decided to attempt my recipe as it had been a year since my last attempt. I made adjustments to the original post.  Personally I find the sheer enjoyment of this soup comes once it reaches the 2hr cook time. The original recipe and my edited version are best as a crockpot recipe if you don’t have the time to be at home and let soup cook on stove top. Here is my updated recipe that serves around 10-12 portions 

Vegetable soup edits 10/31/15

– 2 cartons of beef broth (I prefer Pacific Organic Stock brand) 

– 1 can 8oz can roasted garlic tomato sauce

– 1.5lbs ground beef 80/20 or 85/15

– 5 yokon gold potatoes (or 3 russet potatoes) diced small (U could use a bag of frozen pre-diced potatoes for faster prep) 

– 1/2 tsp SMOKED paprika

– 3-4 cups (half  of 46oz bottle) Spicy V8 juice

– 1/2 onion (yellow or white) diced small

– 4 garlic gloves pressed or minced well

– 2 bay leaves

– 1 15oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, corn: I use Birds Eye)

– Salt and pepper to personal taste (I use 1 tsp of sea salt) 

– 3 cups of water 

*Cook 2-4hrs on low summer on stove top. Perfect recipe for a crockpot cooked on low for 8+ hours. 

***Orioginal Recipe 2013: 

Beef Vegetable Soup
Serves 6-8 servings depending on portions:
-16 oz bag of mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, Lima beans and corn)
– 1/2 to 1lb of 80/20 ground beef. (To stretch budget I used 1/2lb in my recipe. You can buy 1lb and split in half and save for sphegetti meat sauce or soup for future).                                                                             

– 2 cloves of garlic, minced 
– 1/2 large Spanish onion or 1 small onion, diced.
– 2 Russet Potatoes, diced.
– 1 28oz box of beef broth.
– 1 or 2 11.5 oz cans of spicy V8 juice (or use original flavor) I used only 1 can.
– 2 bay leafs
– Salt and pepper to taste

12/20/14 update. I’n my instructions I state to add water, I add about 1 cup of water. That was left off of ingredients.

On a medium high heat sauté ground beef until red is no more. Do not over cook, probably for 2-5 minutes. If using 80/20 ground beef once cooked, drain fat and set aside.

Sauté diced onion in a dash of oil and add sautéed ground beef. Cook on a medium low temperature util onions are translucent.

Add bag of frozen vegetables, bay leafs, beef broth, spicy V8, water, diced potatoes. Let cook for at least 30-45 min covered on a slow simmer.

Serve with bread such as my Cheddar Drop Biscuits which only take about 20 min from start to finish to make.