Savory Beef Bean Soup (Printable)
Hearty soup with tender beef, kidney beans, and vegetables in a spiced tomato broth. Perfect for cozy evenings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound 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 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
→ Beans
08 - 2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
→ Broth & Liquids
09 - 6 cups beef broth
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
→ Spices & 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
# Steps:
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 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 the pot and simmer for 40 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the beef to begin tenderizing.
06 - Stir in the drained kidney beans. Continue simmering uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until the beef is fork-tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf before ladling into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The smoked paprika and cumin quietly transform a simple soup into something that tastes like you spent all day on it.
- Leftovers are genuinely better the next day, which means lunch tomorrow will make you happy you cooked tonight.
- Everything lands in one pot, so cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy for a meal this satisfying.
02 -
- Crowding the beef in the pot steams it instead of searing it, so work in two batches if necessary because that brown crust is where half the flavor lives.
- Low sodium broth is essential because the soup reduces significantly, and regular broth can push the salt level into uncomfortable territory by the time you serve it.
03 -
- Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels before browning because moisture is the enemy of a good sear and wet meat simply steams instead of caramelizing.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving because the flavors settle and marry in ways that immediate serving cannot replicate.