Savory Beef And Bean Soup (Printable)

Hearty beef and bean soup with vegetables, rich broth, and warming spices. Ready in just over an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

→ Beans

08 - 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Broth and Liquids

09 - 6 cups beef broth
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Spices and Herbs

12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Other

17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes and brown on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until fragrant and the vegetables have softened.
03 - Stir in the diced red bell pepper and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, allowing the paste to deepen in color and coat the vegetables.
04 - Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground cumin, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
05 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the beef to tenderize.
06 - Stir in the drained kidney beans and continue simmering uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until the beef is fork-tender and the soup has thickened.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf before ladling into bowls.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like it cooked all day but only asks for an hour of your time, which feels like getting away with something.
  • The beans make it filling enough to stand alone as dinner, no side dish gymnastics required.
  • Leftovers are somehow better the next day, so you get rewarded for patience without even trying.
02 -
  • If you rush the browning step and move the beef around too much, you end up with gray steamed meat instead of that gorgeous caramelized crust, so patience at the beginning pays off enormously.
  • The soup will look slightly thin right after you add the broth, but the beans and the uncovered final simmer work together to thicken it perfectly, so trust the process and resist the urge to add flour.
03 -
  • Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towels before browning because moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and even slightly damp meat will steam instead of crust.
  • Let the finished soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving because the flavors marry and the temperature becomes pleasant enough to actually taste what you made.

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