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# Beef and Vegetable Soup
- URL: https://chefnfood.com/recipes/beef-and-vegetable-soup/
- Published: 2026-10-25T05:51:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T05:51:00.000Z
- Description: Ground beef, pantry vegetables, and egg noodles in a basil-scented broth. Built almost entirely from cans, on the table in about half an hour, and it costs very little to feed six.
- Author: Chris Smith
- Tags: Budget Cooking, beef, make-ahead, #time-35, #serves-6, #difficulty-easy, #source-usda, #featured

Prep10 min

Cook25 min

Total35 min

Servings6

DifficultyEasy

Ground beef, pantry vegetables, and egg noodles in a basil-scented broth. Built almost entirely from cans, on the table in about half an hour, and it costs very little to feed six.

## Ingredients

- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium beef broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) sliced carrots, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 cup cooked egg noodles

## Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains and it reaches **160°F**. Lift it out with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the drippings behind.
2. Drop the heat to medium. Cook the onion and garlic in the drippings 3–4 minutes, until softened but still with a little bite.
3. Return the beef and add the broth, carrots, green beans, stewed tomatoes with their juice, and basil. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. Stir in the cooked egg noodles and give them a minute to warm through.

## Chef’s Take

Browning the beef first and cooking the onion in its drippings is the whole flavor engine of this soup — the browned bits on the bottom of the pot dissolve into the broth and do the work a long simmer usually does. Don't rush step 1; gray beef makes gray soup.

**Pro tip:** keep the noodles separate if you're making this ahead. Noodles stored in soup drink the broth overnight and turn soft. Store them beside the soup and add to each bowl when reheating.

## Substitutions

- **Fresh or frozen vegetables:** use about 1¾ cups each of carrots and green beans; add them with the broth and simmer until tender, about 10 extra minutes.
- **Ground turkey:** works; brown it thoroughly and add a second teaspoon of basil.
- **Other pasta or rice:** a cup of any cooked small pasta or rice stands in for the egg noodles.
- **Bigger batch:** the recipe doubles cleanly in a 8-quart pot; freeze half.

## Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days (noodles stored separately, per the tip above). Freezes well without the noodles for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove over medium.

## Serving suggestions

Crusty bread and butter. A little grated Parmesan over each bowl doesn't hurt either.

Adapted from the USDA MyPlate Kitchen collection.