It’s day 11 of our 30-day challenge! We are doing a great job …keep up the good work everyone! As we move along with our daily quest for good eats, I’m thinking that we need another go-to soup. You know, one of those hearty types that just hangs out in the fridge. Ready and waiting for when you need a pick-me-up. This Low-Carb Beefy Vegetable Soup offers a dose of healthy nourishment.
I based this recipe on one of my family favorites, Beef Barley Soup. Only with this version, I eliminated the barley, lima beans and pasta. And upped the chunkiness by adding fresh tomatoes and cubed turnips. The turnips are a genius addition. They taste just like cubed potatoes without adding a ton of extra carbs. And they freeze well, unlike potatoes.
The first step is to brown those beef cubes. You’ll brown them right in the soup pot or dutch oven …be sure that it will hold at the very least 8 quarts. For large batch soups and stews, I like to use my stainless steel soup pot …similar to this one.
Brown the beef in batches so that you get a good and dark crust on the beef and lots of crumbly pan drippings. If there is too much meat in the pot at one time, the end result will be steamed beef. The browning process adds a depth of flavor that you don’t want to miss!
While the meat is browning, get the cabbage, celery, onion, and turnips prepped. They’ll be added to the pot before too long.
Mix it up until it is well combined, simmer covered over a medium to low heat for about 10 minutes. Or until the vegetables are translucent.
The next ingredients to be added to the mix are the broth, stewed tomatoes, soup bones, pot herb and bay leaves.
A note on pot herbs…
You may have difficulty in finding a quality pot herb in your local market. At times, they appear as though they’ve been hanging out on the shelf way longer than they should.
If you feel the need to make this soup on a somewhat warmer day, you just won’t find a pot herb on any shelf. Remember, it’s so easy to make your own. It will be better and fresher. Just follow my suggestions here.
This is where the magic happens. Let this simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours. During that time your big ole’ pot of ingredients will turn into the most amazing and flavorful soup that you can imagine.
You will notice that the fresh carrots, tomatoes, and green beans are added after the soup has simmered for quite some time. This gives the beef ample time to become tender without turning the veggies to mush. Speaking of carrots, I cut mine on the larger side giving the soup some extra texture. I also have included a small amount of frozen peas. If you are being very strict with your carb intake, you can easily omit them.
To make the job of coring the tomatoes a breeze, give this handy tool a try.
You may have noticed that I did not specifically add salt and/or pepper to the pot while cooking. I use regular organic (not low-sodium) beef broth and find that for most folks, no additional seasoning is necessary.
Better yet, if you happen to have some Homemade Beef Stock on standby, now’s the time to use that goodness.
Store your Low-Carb Beefy Vegetable Soup in the fridge for up to three days.
If you have any leftovers, divvy them up into single-serving containers and pop them into the freezer for later.
Edited 9/20/2020 to add: With all that’s currently happening with Covid-19 concerns, many folks are trying to stay even more focused on healthy eating. While some of you may be doing more of your own food prep, others seem to be taking advantage of the many food delivery services. Our friends at The Spruce Eats have done their research and gathered a list of The 9 Best Keto Meal Delivery Services of 2020. I thought you might appreciate having this handy guide.
low-carb beefy vegetable soup
Healthy, hearty and delicious. A soup that eats like a stew.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 large or 4 small stalks celery, sliced (about 11 ounces)
- 1 medium onion, diced (5 to 6 ounces)
- 1/2 large head of cabbage, cored & chopped (about 20 ounces)
- 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 15 ounces)
- 3 - 46 ounce cans beef broth, divided
- 2 - 14 ounce cans stewed tomatoes, roughly chopped (with juice)
- 1 large or 2 small soup bones
- 1 pot herb
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 carrots, sliced (about 18 ounces)
- 4 small plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 12 ounces)
- 6 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces
- 4 ounces frozen sweet peas, defrosted
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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In a stock pot or dutch oven of at least 8-quart capacity, heat the oil and butter over medium-high setting. When ready, add only enough beef to the pan so that the pieces are barely touching. When all sides are browned, remove to a plate and continue with the remaining beef. When complete, lower the heat to medium and return the first batch to the pot, along with the celery, onion, cabbage, and turnips. Cover pot. Sauté until vegetables slightly soften, about 5 to 10 minutes.
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Add 2 cans of beef broth, stewed tomatoes, soup bone, pot herb and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat so that soup gently simmers. Partially cover the pot and let simmer until beef is tender for about 1 ½ hours.
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When beef is tender, add carrots, plum tomatoes, green beans, and peas. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes.
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Season to taste, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Remove soup bone, pot herb and bay leaves. At this time, the soup will have cooked down substantially. Add additional beef broth to achieve the desired consistency. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes and serve.
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More healthy soups…
