Hearty & Healthy Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup: Your Ultimate Comfort Meal

This hearty Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup is packed with flavor, veggies, and protein. Everything you crave all in one healthy, satisfying bowl! Discover how easy it is to create this nutritious and delicious meal that’s perfect for any occasion.

There’s nothing quite like a warm, comforting bowl of homemade soup to nourish your body and soul. This Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup recipe is a perfect example – it’s robust, bursting with fresh vegetables, rich in protein, and incredibly easy to make. My culinary journey for this particular soup began serendipitously when my sister-in-law shared a Pinterest pin of a similar recipe she absolutely adored. The vibrant colors and wholesome ingredients immediately captured my imagination, making it a dish I simply had to try.

However, like many passionate home cooks, I often find myself with an inspired idea but not always the exact ingredients on hand. This is where the magic of improvisation comes in! Cooking, for me, is an adventure in creativity, especially when hunger strikes or the mood to create something wonderful takes over. This Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup stands as a testament to that philosophy: using what you have available to craft something not just delicious, but also incredibly good for you.

This recipe is designed to be flexible, allowing you to incorporate your favorite vegetables or whatever needs using up in your fridge. It’s a truly versatile dish that promises warmth, flavor, and a generous dose of nutrients in every spoonful. Whether you’re looking for a wholesome family dinner, an easy meal prep solution, or just a comforting bowl of goodness, this beef and tomato soup is guaranteed to become a household favorite. It’s an ideal choice for a healthy weeknight meal or a cozy weekend lunch.

Cooking with the Versatile and Nutritious Swiss Chard

One of the star ingredients that elevates this soup to another level of freshness and nutrition is Swiss chard. Lately, I’ve been completely captivated by the beautiful bunches of Swiss chard I see at the grocery store – their vibrant stems and deep green leaves are simply irresistible. Incorporating Swiss chard into this soup felt like a natural choice, not just for its aesthetic appeal but also for a touch of nostalgia.

Swiss chard holds a special place in my heart, reminding me of my beloved grandpa. He was an avid gardener who grew an abundance of it every summer, and it was through his garden that I first learned to appreciate this incredible leafy green. Its mild, earthy flavor and tender texture make it a fantastic addition to countless dishes. I often treat Swiss chard much like I would spinach or kale, adding it to soups, stews, sautés, or even blending it into smoothies for an extra nutritional boost. It’s a wonderful way to add a pop of color and a wealth of health benefits to your meals.

Benefits of Swiss Chard for Your Diet:

Nutrient Powerhouse: Swiss chard is incredibly rich in essential vitamins such as K, A, and C, as well as vital minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. It’s a fantastic, low-calorie way to significantly boost your daily nutrient intake and support overall well-being.
Antioxidant Rich: This leafy green contains powerful antioxidants, including beta-carotene and various flavonoids, which help protect your body from cellular damage caused by free radicals and support a healthy immune system.
Versatility in Cooking: Its relatively mild, slightly earthy flavor allows it to blend seamlessly into various dishes without overpowering other ingredients. This makes it a perfect addition to soups, stir-fries, omelets, and casseroles.
Pleasing Texture: When cooked, Swiss chard softens beautifully, adding a pleasant, tender texture contrast to hearty soups like this one. Its stems retain a slight crunch, offering an interesting textural dynamic.
Supports Digestive Health: The high fiber content in Swiss chard promotes healthy digestion and can help maintain regular bowel movements, contributing to a healthy gut.

Preparing Swiss Chard for Your Soup

Preparing Swiss chard for cooking is straightforward, ensuring you get the most out of both its tender leaves and slightly firmer stems. First, thoroughly wash the chard to remove any dirt. Then, gently fold the chard leaves lengthwise and carefully cut away the thick, fibrous stem from the leafy part. The stems can be chopped separately into small, uniform pieces, as they take a little longer to cook than the leaves and add a nice textural element to the soup. Once the leaves are separated, you can roll them up tightly and slice them into thin ribbons. This method ensures even cooking and makes the chard easier and more enjoyable to eat in every spoonful of soup. For a helpful visual guide on how to prepare Swiss chard, you can check out this informative post!

How to Make Easy and Delicious Vegetable Beef Soup

This beef and tomato vegetable soup isn’t just full of delicious flavor; it’s also packed with an abundance of vegetables and lean protein, making it an incredibly wholesome meal. What makes it even better is how wonderfully easy it is to prepare, requiring just one pot and straightforward steps. With minimal fuss, you’ll have a hearty pot of soup simmering on your stovetop, yielding plenty of leftovers perfect for quick, healthy lunches and dinners throughout the week. This recipe is an ideal choice for busy weeknights when you crave a home-cooked, nutritious meal without spending hours in the kitchen.

Sauté Aromatics and Brown Beef: In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add your diced onions, celery, and carrots. These three vegetables form the aromatic base, often called a mirepoix, which is essential for building deep flavor in any soup. Cook them for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and release their fragrant aromas. Next, add the lean ground beef. Using a wooden spoon, break up the beef as it cooks. Season generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, and continue to cook until the beef is thoroughly browned and no pink remains. For a lighter soup, you can drain any excess fat at this stage.
Simmer to Perfection: Once the beef is browned, add the two 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted tomatoes – these add a wonderful smoky depth and tang that perfectly complements the beef. Pour in the 3/4 cup of water, swirling it around the tomato cans to capture any remaining bits of flavor, and then add the 4 cups of low-sodium chicken or beef broth. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 15 minutes, uncovered, giving all the wonderful flavors time to meld and deepen. Finally, stir in the thinly sliced Swiss chard and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chard is tender but still vibrant green. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. Serve hot, topped with a generous sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese for an extra layer of savory deliciousness. For added freshness, you might also garnish with a little fresh parsley or basil.

Choosing the Best Vegetables for Your Soup

When it comes to adding vegetables to soup, my philosophy is simple: the more, the merrier! And frankly, almost any vegetable can find a happy home in a hearty soup. I nearly always begin with the classic mirepoix base of onion, carrots, and celery. These three foundational vegetables lay a flavorful groundwork that complements a vast array of other ingredients, providing a sweet, savory, and aromatic start. Beyond that, the culinary possibilities are truly limitless, allowing you to customize your soup to your taste preferences, what’s in season, or simply what you have on hand that needs using up. This flexibility makes beef and tomato vegetable soup a truly adaptable dish.

Explore Diverse Vegetable Categories for Soup Perfection:

Root Vegetables for Heartiness: Beyond carrots, consider adding diced potatoes (russet, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes all work well) for a starchy thickness, sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness and vibrant color, or even parsnips for an earthy, slightly sweet note. These vegetables add significant substance and make the soup incredibly filling and satisfying.
Leafy Greens for a Nutritional Boost: As highlighted with Swiss chard, leafy greens are fantastic additions. Spinach wilts quickly and adds a delicate texture, kale offers a more robust texture and earthy flavor, and even collard greens can be a great, nutrient-dense inclusion. They significantly boost the vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content of your soup.
Cruciferous Vegetables for Crunch and Flavor: Small broccoli florets, chopped cauliflower, or shredded cabbage can add a pleasant crunch and distinct flavor to the soup. Cabbage, in particular, becomes wonderfully tender when simmered, adding bulk and a slightly sweet flavor without many calories, making it excellent for a healthy beef and tomato soup.
Legumes for Protein and Fiber: Canned beans like kidney beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans, or black beans are easy additions that pack a powerful punch of plant-based protein and dietary fiber. Lentils (red or green) can also be added for extra heartiness and nutrition, just be sure to adjust liquid amounts if adding dry lentils.
Vibrant Additions for Color and Freshness: Don’t forget colorful vegetables like diced bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), corn kernels (fresh or frozen), cut green beans, or zucchini slices. Add these towards the end of the cooking process to retain their optimal texture and bright colors, making your beef vegetable soup visually appealing.

I personally adore tomato-based soups, which is why canned diced tomatoes, especially fire-roasted ones, are a frequent and essential addition to most of my soup creations. They provide a beautiful tang and a rich, savory depth that forms the backbone of this delicious soup. Soup is also one of my absolute go-to meals when I’m focused on trimming down or simply aiming to feel healthier. I made a conscious choice to keep this particular beef and tomato soup low on carbohydrates by omitting grains. The generous addition of thinly sliced Swiss chard truly helped bulk it up, ensuring I didn’t miss any pasta or rice. However, if you prefer a heartier, more carb-inclusive soup, feel free to stir in some cooked orzo, small pasta shapes like ditalini or elbow macaroni, or even a handful of brown rice or quinoa during the last few minutes of simmering to make it a complete meal.

Looking for more healthy and comforting soup ideas? Here are some of my tried-and-true favorites that I frequently make for my family: Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes, Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, and my Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup. I’m also eager to try this Super Healthy Cabbage Soup and this refreshing Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup soon!

I’d love to hear from you! Please share some of your own favorite healthy soup recipes with me in the comments section below. Your ideas inspire new culinary adventures! Happy cooking!

Find more comforting and delicious recipes on my Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes Pinterest board!

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Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup

Author: Aggies Kitchen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop

This hearty Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup is packed with flavor, veggies and protein. Everything you crave all in one healthy bowl!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
1 – 1.25 lb lean ground beef
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper (pinch of each)
2 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
3/4 cup water (swirl around tomato cans to pick up leftover bits)
4 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth
1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into thin strips

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Instructions

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add lean ground beef and crumble using a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until beef is completely browned.
Add 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add Swiss chard to soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Serve with Parmesan cheese.