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    Home » Recipes » Soup & Stew

    Pop's Beef Vegetable Soup

    October 3, 2022 • Updated: October 3, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    A bowl of vegetable soup, with saltine crackers strewn at the foot of the bowl. Alphabet letters spell out "Pop's Vegetable Beef Soup" across the top of the soup. Pin Text reads: Old-fashioned Beef Vegetable Soup

    Old-fashioned beef vegetable soup with barley, just like grandpa used to make! Easy one-pot prep: put everything in a pot and let it simmer. (Plus Pop's pro-tip for picky eaters!)

    A bowl of vegetable soup, with saltine crackers strewn at the foot of the bowl. Alphabet letters spell out "Pop's Vegetable Beef Soup" across the top of the soup.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
    • Why this Recipe Works
    • What Goes into this Recipe
    • How to Make Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • Old-fashioned Beef Vegetable Soup

    What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

    When I was a little girl, my parents and I spent most Sunday evenings at my grandpa's house. The four of us - Dad, Mom, Pop and I - would eat dinner and then settle in to watch Lawrence Welk and The Wonderful World of Disney together before Dad drove Mom and me home. On cold winter nights, dinner was (more often than not) a piping bowl of Pop’s homemade beef vegetable soup, served with as many Saltines as I could eat.

    Pop was my maternal grandfather and I was his only granddaughter, so we had a pretty special relationship. Anyway, back then I was not much of a vegetable lover (I still have no love for cooked peas), and until I was about four, I would not eat more than a few token bites of Pop’s soup, subsisting Sunday nights almost entirely on crackers and milk.

    Pop's Pro-Trick for Picky Eaters

    But then Pop pulled a trick out of his sleeve – he started adding a can of Campbell’s Alphabet Soup to his own soup just for me, and those mushy little pasta letters changed everything.

    I loved to hunt for the letters to spell my name, or the dog’s name, or anything really. I’d collect letters on my spoon, read them to everyone, and then gobble them up in one bite. Spell a word, eat a bite. Spell another word, eat another bite. In the process, I completely forgot to be picky about what surrounded them, and before I knew it, I was eating Pop’s soup like it was going out of style.

    To this day, I still include a handful of alphabet pasta, or that silly little can of soup, and every overcooked letter on my spoon reminds me of my sweet Poppy.

    Why this Recipe Works

    This one-pot vegetable soup recipe is easy, reliable, and flexible. If you don't have all the ingredients, just use the vegetables you like and have on hand.

    It's also an extremely budget-friendly meal. The recipe, as written, makes about 5 quarts of soup; enough for a large family, with plenty leftovers to freeze for future meals.

    Our barley beef vegetable soup recipe adheres closely to Pop's original, which explains the inclusion of a turnip. Pop insisted that any respectable vegetable soup should include a turnip, and though I'm not usually much of a turnip fan, but it does seem to add something extra, so I always include it.

    Nevertheless, any of the vegetables suggested in the recipe can be omitted, different ones can be added, and amounts adjusted to suit your personal tastes. 

    You can even make this soup vegetarian; just leave out the soup bone and use some good vegetable stock instead.

    Like most soups, Pop's beef vegetable soup is much better the day after, so plan for leftovers. And always serve some Saltines on the side.

    What Goes into this Recipe

    Beef vegetable soup ingredients, labeled: Potatoes, carrots, corn, peas, celery, cabbage, onions, barley, alphabet letter noodles, canned tomatoes, and seasonings.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    ★ Soup bone: We like to use a beef shank for this recipe, but you can use any beef soup bone. (Knuckle bones work particularly well.) You can also substitute beef soup base for the beef stock.

    ★ Vegetables: The suggested vegetables can be omitted, different ones can be added, and amounts adjusted to suit your personal tastes. 

    ★ Barley: This recipe could easily be titled Beef Barley Vegetable Soup instead. The barley gives the soup a nice texture and a good bite.

    ★ Canned tomatoes: During tomato season, fresh tomatoes can be substituted.

    ★ Alphabet pasta: As mentioned, the alphabet pasta (or a can of Campbell's Alphabet Soup) is totally optional, but it's also kind of fun.

    We find alphabet pasta in the Hispanic section of our grocery store.

    How to Make Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

    Heat a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat.

    Brown the Beef Shank

    You can skip this step if your soup bone is already cooked, or if you are using soup bones with no discernible meat of them.

    Add enough olive oil to your soup pot to barely cover the bottom. Season the beef shank with a little kosher salt salt brown it on both sides.

    Browned beef shank in a Dutch oven.

    Cover the browned soup bone with 2 quarts of water, and add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

    Browned beef shank in soup pot, covered with water. Two bay leaves float on top of water.

    Remove the beef bone and bay leaves from the beef stock. Set the beef bone aside to cool.

    When the beef bone is cool, remove any meat from it. Discard the bone (or give it to your dog!). Cover and refrigerate the meat while the soup simmers.

    Beef soup bone rendered and reduce. Meat has been removed and rests in a small bowl to the side.

    Simmer the Soup

    Add all remaining ingredients to the soup stock (except the optional Campbell's Soup or alphabet pasta) and simmer for 2 more hours.

    Vegetable soup before simmering, with vegetables added to beef stock.

    When the soup almost done simmering, add the meat and the alphabet pasta (or Campbell's soup). Continue to simmer until the pasta is done; about 8 minutes.

    beef bits and alphabet noodles added to the soup.

    Taste the soup and season with additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce as desired.

    Vegetable soup is always better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend.

    Fully cooked vegetable soup in a soup pot.

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    Can you make vegetable soup in a slow cooker?

    It's easy to cook this soup recipe in a slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 hours, or High for 3 hours.

    How can you make beef vegetable soup vegetarian?

    To make this soup vegetarian, just leave out the soup bone and use some good vegetable stock instead. You can also use a vegetarian soup base.

    A bowl of vegetable soup, with crumbled saltine crackers sprinkled atop the soup.of the bowl.

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    A bowl of vegetable soup, with saltine crackers strewn at the foot of the bowl. Alphabet letters spell out "Pop's Vegetable Beef Soup" across the top of the soup.
    5 from 4 votes

    Old-fashioned Beef Vegetable Soup

    Old-fashioned beef vegetable soup with barley, just like grandpa used to make! Easy one-pot prep: put everything in a pot and let it simmer. (Plus Pop's pro-tip for picky eaters!)
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Main, Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Low Lactose
    Prep Time:15 minutes
    Cook Time:2 hours
    Total Time:2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 175kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Medium Stock Pot 8-10 quart

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 beef shank or large soup bone
    • 3 tablespoons oil canola, olive oil
    • 2 quarts water
    • 2 whole bay leaves
    • 4 medium carrots sliced
    • 4 medium potatoes peeled & cubed
    • 1 large yellow onion chopped
    • 1 medium turnip pared and chopped
    • 3 stalks celery chopped
    • 2 cans cut tomatoes We use Petite Cut with Onions & Garlic
    • 2 cups chopped cabbage
    • 1 cup corn
    • ½ cup peas
    • ⅓ cup pearl barley
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ cup alphabet letter pasta optional; or 1 can Campbell's Alphabet Soup
    • Additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

    Instructions

    • Heat a medium stock pot over medium-high heat.

    Make the Beef Stock

    • You can skip this step if your soup bone is already cooked, or if they have no discernible meat of them.
      Add enough olive oil to your soup pot to barely cover the bottom. Season the beef shank with a little kosher salt salt brown it on both sides.
    • Cover the browned soup bone with 2 quarts of water, and add 2 bay leaves.
      Bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
      Remove the beef bone and bay leaves from the beef stock. Set the beef bone aside to cool.
    • When the beef bone is cool, remove any meat from it. Discard the bone (or give it to your dog!).
      Cover and refrigerate the meat while the soup simmers.

    Simmer the Soup

    • Add all remaining ingredients to the beef stock except the optional Campbell's Soup or alphabet pasta, and simmer over low heat for 2 more hours.
    • When the soup almost done simmering, add the meat and alphabet pasta (or Campbell's soup).
      Continue to simmer until the pasta is done; about 8 minutes.
    • Taste the soup and season with additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce as desired.

    Notes

    Slow Cooker Prep: Cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.
    This soup is really better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend. Other vegetables can be added and amounts adjusted to suit your taste. 
    Beef vegetable soup freezes well. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3694IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

    Originally published January 5, 2015. Post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    1. Mirlene says

      October 17, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      Well your pops recipe satisfied my family's hunger! This soup was absolutely delicious for this cold weather season.

      Reply
    2. Nathan says

      October 17, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a tasty and hearty soup! I made it with the alphabet pasta and it was a fun little addition 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Beth says

      October 17, 2022 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      I love this classic, Fall, comfort soup and I love Pop's Pro tip for picky eaters - genius!

      Reply
    4. Paul Reed says

      July 11, 2017 at 7:19 am

      We made this soup last night! Yummy! It turned out great and it makes a great dinner. It will be the “go-to” soup recipe.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 11, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Thanks so much for the feedback! I'm so glad you like it.

        Reply
    5. Doug says

      February 23, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks for sharing the story about your pops! What a great idea to add the alphabet soup to the mix to make it fun for kids (and maybe they won't realize that they are getting all the veggie goodness).

      Reply
    6. Bill Volckening says

      January 05, 2015 at 7:57 pm

      Love it. Must try!

      Reply
    7. Kayla Whittington says

      January 05, 2015 at 12:41 pm

      When I was little we had veggie soup - called it Stone Soup - and had it every Christmas Eve at my grandma's house with homemade fry bread!

      Reply
    8. Rachel says

      January 05, 2015 at 12:26 pm

      So tasty!!! Love a good soup in the winter time. Always adding to my list.

      Reply
    9. Pech says

      January 05, 2015 at 11:23 am

      What a clever trick on kids with the alphabet soup to get them to eat veggies (I was the same way picking around certain vegetables, for me it was beans in any soup) , and adorable shot with the soup name spelled out on alphabet noodles!

      Reply
    10. Lindsay says

      January 05, 2015 at 10:22 am

      I just love vegetable soup especially with alphabet pasta - there is just something so nostalgic about it.

      Reply
    11. kelsey says

      January 05, 2015 at 9:58 am

      oh yum! that looks awesome!
      http://www.ladiesinnavy.com

      Reply
    12. Melinda says

      January 05, 2015 at 9:50 am

      Mmm, that soup looks great...although I'd probably leave the alphabet soup (and peas!) out of it!

      Reply
    13. Nicole @ CoSchedule says

      January 05, 2015 at 9:24 am

      I love this post. Your pop sounds like he was a really amazing man. Its incredible how certain foods can have such strong memories and emotions attached to them!

      Reply
    14. Linda says

      January 05, 2015 at 8:46 am

      Looks like a hearty and healthy soup. Can't wait to try the alphabet soup trick to get my grandchildren to eat something healthy. Thanks.

      Reply
    15. Emma Lincoln (@emmalincolnblog) says

      January 05, 2015 at 8:38 am

      Looks amazing!

      Reply
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