Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup (Easy Crockpot Recipe)

Some nights you need dinner to happen without you. This slow cooker vegetable beef soup is made with cubed chuck roast, potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables, and a tomato and beef broth base. Prep in the morning and dinner takes care of itself.

A bowl of vegetable beef soup with a spoon lifting a piece of beef, carrots and peas.

The one step worth doing is searing the beef before it goes in the crockpot. It takes only a couple minutes in a skillet and makes a big difference in taste and texture.

Everything else is a dump job. Vegetables, sauces, seasonings, broth, lid on.

If slow cooker dinners are your thing, my Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup and Slow Cooker Chili are two more family favorites. And you’ll find plenty more ideas in my collection of Dump and Go Slow Cooker Recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Beef Vegetable Soup

Perfect for busy nights — 20 minutes of prep in the morning and dinner is done when you walk in.
Made with simple ingredients — frozen mixed vegetables, canned tomatoes, and a chuck roast from the regular grocery store.
Feeds six — and it stretches further with a loaf of bread on the side.
Freezes well — up to 3 months, so a double batch pays off.
Even better the next day — the flavor keeps deceloping in the fridge.

Ingredients

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Chuck roast — cut into 1-inch cubes. Chuck has enough fat and connective tissue to go soft over a long cook. Pre-cut stew meat works if you cannot find a roast. If you like slow cooker beef, my Slow Cooker BBQ Beef uses the same cut.
Vegetable oil — or your choice of oil for searing the meat.
Sweet onion — diced. A yellow or white onion is fine.
Potatoes — I recommend gold potatoes or red potatoes since they hold their shape well during a long slow cook. If you’d rather have a thicker soup with softer potatoes, russet potatoes are a great option and will give you almost a stew-like texture.
Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes — the base of the broth along with the beef stock. I like to use petite diced tomatoes but regular are great as well. Jarred marinara can replace the tomato sauce if you want more seasoning in the base.
Frozen mixed vegetables — corn, green beans, carrots, and peas, no chopping needed. This is the shortcut that keeps the prep quick. Canned works too, drained. Fresh works if you have it on hand.
Beef broth — I use low sodium so I can control the salt myself. If you use regular broth, cut back on the added salt or leave it out until the end.
Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning — the flavor backbone. A half tablespoon of garlic powder can stand in for the minced garlic.
Salt and pepper — season at the start, then taste and adjust before serving.

My Favorite Slow Cooker

This is the 6 quart slow cooker I use and love. It has a large digital display and switches to warm on its own when the timer is up, so dinner is ready when you are. Also, the lid locks on for easy transport, so it travels well to potlucks.

How to Make Easy Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the cubed chuck roast in a single layer and flip every 2 minutes until most sides are browned. Do not crowd the pan. If the beef is stacked it steams instead of searing.

Left: raw cubed chuck roast in an oiled skillet. Right: the same beef browned on all sides.

Step 2: Add the onion, potatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the crockpot.

Step 3: Add the seared beef on top, pour the beef broth over everything, and stir it all together.

Four numbered panels: vegetables and seasonings in a crockpot, stirred together, seared beef added on top, then broth poured over.

Step 4: Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Low is worth the extra time. The beef comes out more tender and the potatoes hold their shape instead of falling apart.

Step 5: Stir once more, taste and adjust the salt, and garnish with parsley if desired.

Overhead view of slow cooker vegetable beef soup in a white crockpot with parsley, bowls and spoons alongside.

Serving Suggestions

A crusty loaf of bread such as French bread is the standard here. A warm loaf and a bowl of this soup is a whole dinner.

If you would rather bake something, 7 Up Biscuits come together while the soup finishes, and Pull Apart Herb Biscuits are always a yes in my book.

A green salad on the side rounds it out if you want something fresh.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup with beef, potatoes, green beans, and carrots being lifted from the crockpot with a wooden spoon.

Storage

Cool the soup and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavor keeps developing, so day two is often even better than day one.

To freeze, portion it into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of beef broth if it has thickened up in the fridge or freezer.

Overhead view of a white bowl of vegetable beef soup with a spoon, parsley and a striped towel beside it.

Tips for the Best Vegetable Beef Soup

Sear the beef in batches if you need to. Depending on the size of your skillet, 2 pounds of cubed chuck may not fit in one layer. If it doesn’t, sear in two rounds so every piece gets browned.
Cut the potatoes to match the beef. Both go in at 1-inch cubes so they finish at the same time.
Use low sodium broth. Tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and diced tomatoes all bring salt with them. Starting low lets you correct at the end instead of trying to fix a salty soup.
Cook on low if you have the time. High works, but low gives you the best taste and texture.

Additions and Variations

Add celery and carrots — dice a couple of stalks and a carrot or two if you want more vegetables than the frozen bag brings.
Swap the potatoes for barley or noodles — stir cooked barley or egg noodles in during the last 30 minutes.
Make it spicier — a pinch of red pepper flakes or swap the tomatoes for a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.
Use marinara instead of tomato sauce — an easy way to get more garlic, spices, and herbs into the base.

A bowl of vegetable beef soup with a spoon resting in it.

Vegetable Beef Soup FAQ

Can I use ground beef instead of chuck roast?

Yes. Brown 2 pounds of ground beef, drain it, and add it in place of the cubed chuck. Cut the cook time to 4-5 hours on low since there is no tough cut of beef to break down.

Can I put the beef in raw?

You can. It will be safe and it will be tender. You lose the browned flavor, so add an extra splash of Worcestershire to make up for it.

Why are my potatoes mushy?

Usually the cook was on high for too long, or the potatoes were cut smaller than the beef. Switch to low and match the cube sizes. Potato type matters too. Russet potatoes are starchy and break down more over a long cook, so they’ll turn out softer no matter what. If you want potatoes that hold their shape, use gold potatoes or red potatoes instead.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup