Classic vegetable and beef soup

Photo by Votsis Panagiotis from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/soup-with-vegetables-on-white-ceramic-bowl-3493579/

Classic vegetable and beef soup: A winter wonderland of flavour

If you want a winter meal that keeps you cozy with the family, try our classic vegetable and beef soup. The hearty food hug you need right now.

Classic vegetable and beef soup

Photo by Votsis Panagiotis from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/soup-with-vegetables-on-white-ceramic-bowl-3493579/

Winter is here, it’s cold and you want comfort food. The best comfort food is warm, rich and packed with important ingredients to keep you healthy too. In South Africa, we enjoy a hearty farm-style classic vegetable and beef soup.

Classic vegetable and beef soup

As with cooking most beef dishes, the important step is the first one, browning the beef for that tasty caramelised crust. That and the fond on the bottom of the pot just deepens the flavour. The beef adds protein which is important to keep your muscles healthy and vegetables for a strong immune system. They’re all combined into a warm bowl of goodness that feels like a hug. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

If you want a winter meal that keeps you cosy with the family, try our classic vegetable and beef soup. The hearty food hug you need right now.

Classic vegetable and beef soup recipe

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Carla Zinkfontein Course: MainCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

50

minutes
Total time

2

hours 

5

minutes

Ingredients

  • tbsp olive oil, separated

  • 500 g 500 stewing beef, cut into 0.75 cm cubes

  • ½ tsp ½ salt and pepper

  • 1 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 tbsp 1 garlic, minced

  • 2 2 celery sticks, cut into 0.8 cm slices

  • 3 3 carrots, cut into 0.5 cm slices (halve larger ones)

  • 4 tbsp 4 flour

  • cups beef broth/stock, low sodium

  • cups dry red wine, Guinness beer or stout

  • cups water

  • 2 tbsp 2 tomato paste

  • 2 2 bay leaves

  • 1 tsp 1 thyme, dried

  • 1 cup 1 frozen peas

  • 2 2 potatoes, cut into .5 cm cubes

  • Buttery mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp 1 butter or oil

  • 200 g 200 small mushrooms, quartered or halved

Method

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil until very hot in a large, heavy-based pot over high heat.
  • Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Brown the beef in 2 or 3 batches, adding more oil if needed. Remove browned beef into a bowl. If the pot looks dry, add a touch more oil.
  • Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.
  • Stir in flour, then slowly pour in beef broth while constantly stirring.
  • Add beer, water, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme, stir well. Then add the beef back in. Cover, and adjust heat to medium-low so it’s bubbling gently. Simmer for 1 hr 15 minutes or until beef is pretty tender.
  • Add potatoes and peas, and simmer for a further 20 minutes without the lid. Add cooked mushrooms in the last 5 minutes.
  • The soup is ready when the potatoes are cooked and the beef is very tender. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
    Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread if desired.
  • Buttery mushrooms
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Notes

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Looking for more tasty winter warming recipes to prepare for your family and friends? Just have a look at our recipe page, we have excellent suggestions for you to try.

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