Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs
A deeply flavorful, aromatic soup featuring tender beef chuck, celery, and carrots simmered with fresh herbs for a satisfying, no-fuss meal. This american-inspired slow cooker ready in about 505 minutes pairs medium, finely diced onion, minced garlic, dried oregano for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 300 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes beef chuck roast
- 4 medium, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds carrots
- 3 stalks, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces celery
- 1 medium, finely diced onion
- 4 cloves, minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Equipment for this recipe
Top-rated tools to make this recipe successfully.
Instructions
- Step 1: Brown 1.5 lbs cubed beef chuck in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side until deeply seared, then transfer to the slow cooker with 4 sliced carrots, 3 diced celery stalks, 1 diced onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, 6 cups chicken broth, 1.5 tsp sea salt, and 1 tsp black pepper, stirring to combine.
- Step 2: Cook on LOW for 8 hours until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft, with the broth richly flavored and the beef falling apart easily.
- Step 3: Taste and adjust seasoning, ensuring the broth is deeply savory with no raw meat flavor and the vegetables have a soft, yielding texture.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs take to make?
Total time is about 505 minutes (25 min prep + 480 min cook). Most home cooks find this fits comfortably into a weeknight; double the batch on Sunday for two dinners.
How do I store leftover Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs?
Cool to room temperature within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or microwave at 70% power in 60-second bursts to keep medium, finely diced onion from drying out.
Can I substitute ingredients in Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs?
Yes — most ingredients in this recipe have flexible swaps. For oil, use any neutral high-smoke-point oil (avocado, grapeseed, refined coconut). For aromatics, dried herbs at ⅓ the volume of fresh work in a pinch. The full ingredient list is shoppable on Instacart so you can see substitutes in real time.
How do I scale Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs for a different number of people?
The recipe is written for 6 servings. Multiply each ingredient by (your serving target / 6). Cook time stays roughly the same up to 2x; for 3-4x batches, switch from a skillet to a sheet pan or stockpot so the food isn't crowded — overcrowding steams instead of browns.
What goes well with Simple Beef and Vegetable Soup with Herbs?
American slow cooker like this pair well with a simple grain (rice, couscous, or crusty bread), a quick salad with acid (lemon vinaigrette, pickled onions), and a pan sauce or yogurt-based dip. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" to get specific side suggestions.
What others are saying
- ★★★★★
My whole family loved this.
- ★★★★☆
Very good for a 480-minute recipe. Would bump up the spice level though.
- ★★★★☆
Really good but took about 10 minutes longer than stated.
