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Hearty Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup (Easy One-Pot Meal)

Hearty Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup - featured image
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A hearty, set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker soup made with ground beef and vegetables. Perfect for busy weeknights, this one-pot meal is packed with flavor and requires minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 cup frozen green beans
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Leave about 1 tablespoon of rendered fat in the skillet.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Pour about ½ cup of the beef broth into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker with the beef.
  4. Add the diced carrots, celery, zucchini, undrained diced tomatoes, frozen corn, frozen green beans, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  5. Pour the remaining 3 ½ cups of beef broth over everything. Stir gently.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the carrots and celery are fork-tender.
  7. Turn off the slow cooker. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

For a thicker soup, mash some cooked vegetables against the side of the slow cooker with a potato masher before serving. To prevent zucchini from getting too mushy, add it during the last 30-60 minutes of cooking on LOW or 15-20 minutes on HIGH. This soup freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker soup, ground beef soup, vegetable soup, hearty soup, one-pot meal, easy dinner, comfort food, freezer-friendly

Find it online: https://cheerycrisp.com/hearty-slow-cooker-ground-beef-and-vegetable-soup-easy-one-pot-meal/