Beef Soup (Sick Day / Cold Weather Fix)
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Campbell’s tomato juice or nothing. We’ve tried the knockoff. It was a mistake.
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus time for the meat to sit with the seasoning
Cook time: 4-5 hours, low and slow
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1.5 to 2 pounds stew beef
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- 2 cans green beans
- 2 cans corn
- 2 cans peas
- 2 cans carrots
(or substitute a bag of frozen mixed vegetables for all of the above) - Frozen okra, added toward the end, optional
- 1 bottle (64 oz) Campbell’s tomato juice, has to be Campbell’s
Instructions:
- Season the stew beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Let it sit for a bit so the seasoning actually gets into the meat, not just sits on top.
- Brown the beef in a large pot, reserving the drippings, that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Add the tomato juice into the pot with the beef and drippings.
- Drain and add all the canned vegetables (or the frozen mixed bag if that’s what you’re using), and mix well.
- Cover and simmer low on the stovetop for 4-5 hours.
- If you’re adding frozen okra, stir it in toward the end of the cook time. Adding it late instead of at the start is what keeps it from turning slimy.
- Serve with garlic bread, or on its own.
Notes:
This is genuinely a “whatever’s in the pantry” soup, honestly dump in whatever vegetables you have. The formula (seasoned beef, Campbell’s tomato juice, a mix of vegetables, low and slow) works regardless of exactly what goes in.
Most of this comes out of a can, and that’s fine. When you’re not feeling well or it’s cold out, this is the good kind of shortcut, not a compromise.
Short on time? This one’s already built around convenience, canned vegetables and a long unattended simmer. The only real time investment is letting it cook, so start it early in the day and let it go while you do something else.
