Name: Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 h
Total time: 10 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup leftover pot-roast, cubed or shredded; 2 quarts leftover gravy and /or beef broth; 2-3 potatoes, diced; 2-3 sliced carrots; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; Bay leaf; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 cup green beans (I prefer canned); 1 cup frozen corn; 1 cup frozen okra; 1 cup lima beans; 1 tablespoon Salt-Free Seasoning (I like Kroger brand Zesty Blend); Pepper

Use pot roast leftovers to create a delicious and filling Vegetable Beef Soup. It’s my antidote for all the sweets that swirl around us at Halloween.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP in a pot next to a spoon and a roll

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We don’t have many traditions associated with Halloween–it’s not my favorite holiday. But there is one tradition I really like. We always have soup for dinner and this year, I’m making vegetable soup. It actually makes me feel better after eating too many Snicker bars and Reese peanut butter cups.

How to make vegetable soup:

Who needs a recipe for vegetable soup? Not me, and probably not you either. But I have something to say regarding the ingredients I prefer. I bet you do, too, and I’m hoping you’ll share in the comments because I’m always looking for new ways to improve the classics.

My vegetable soup is rather like a scavenger hunt. I start with leftover pot roast and gravy. Then I raid the fridge for once-fresh-but-now-tired veggies and half-empty bags of the frozen variety.

Next, I grab a can or two of veggies out of the pantry, and finally, if the weather is not too cold, I check to see if I have any herbs I can add to the mix.

It may seem like an anything-goes policy, but actually, I do have a few rules.

My rules for Vegetable Beef Soup

Yes to frozen okra. I don’t normally like boiled okra, but for some mysterious reason, I love it in a soup recipe.
Yes to salt-free seasoning. I usually don’t add extra salt because the variety of spices in salt-free seasoning adds interest to the flavor. I currently use Kroger brand Zesty Blend, but I’m always on the lookout for something new in this category.
No tomatoes. I love tomatoes but prefer my vegetable soup without.
No cabbage. Sorry, Mom. I never learned to like the cabbage you put into your vegetable soup. Furthermore, it reminds me of the cabbage soup some people eat to lose weight.

This recipe is perfect for a slow cooker. Simmer all day long and half the night too, if necessary, on days you aren’t sure when you’ll get home.

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thanks so much! Paula