Name: A Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe Without Tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Ingredients: ½-1 cup leftover pot-roast or pre-cooked beef (cubed or shredded); 1 quart leftover gravy and/or beef broth (If using broth, use homemade, canned, or bouillon cubes or paste with water.); 2-3 medium potatoes, diced, peeled, or unpeeled; 2-3 sliced whole carrots or sliced baby carrots; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 cup green beans (I prefer canned or frozen. ); 1 cup frozen corn; 1 cup frozen okra; 1 cup lima beans (or other beans of your choice); 1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning (for example, McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb); ⅓ tablespoon freshly ground pepper; 1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

JUMP TO RECIPE CARD JUMP TO STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO

Sneak Preview: This vegetable beef soup without tomatoes cooks in the slow cooker in about 8 hours. It’s made with leftover beef roast, frozen vegetables, and pantry staples for a mild, savory broth.

Beef and vegetable soup in a slow cooker with a ladel

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I know most people toss in a can of tomatoes without thinking twice when making vegetable soup. But around here, we like ours without. No acidity, no red broth—just a clear, savory broth full of tender beef, soft potatoes, and colorful vegetables.

It’s the kind of soup that makes you feel better after too many Halloween treats or helps reset in January without feeling like a diet. It’s also a smart way to use leftover pot roast and whatever veggies are hanging out in the freezer.

Readers Say…
“I made a roast Sunday so I could make this soup. It was so delicious. Yum. Thanks for great ideas and great recipes.“–CONNIE

Ingredients & Substitutions

• LEFTOVER BEEF: Use cubed or shredded roast, steak, or ground beef. Skip for a vegetarian version.

• GRAVY OR BROTH: Leftover gravy adds richness. Otherwise, use canned, homemade, or bouillon-based beef broth. This recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free broth and seasonings.

• POTATOES: Russets or Yukon golds, peeled or unpeeled. Small red potatoes work, too.

• CARROTS: Whole or baby carrots, sliced.

• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: Adds umami depth.

• BAY LEAF: Enhances flavor—remove before serving.

• FROZEN VEGETABLES: Use what you have—peas, green beans, corn, okra, etc.

• BEANS: Frozen lima beans are my go-to. Canned kidney, white, or chickpeas also work.

• SALT-FREE SEASONING: Try McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb or similar.

• KITCHEN BOUQUET (optional): Adds color and a beefy look to the broth

How To Put Together Vegetable Beef Soup Without Tomatoes

⬇️ Jump to the recipe below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.

1. Add Base Ingredients

The first six ingredients for this soup are pictured sitting by a slow cooker. — Add the first six ingredients to your slow cooker. If you have all day, set it on LOW for 8-10 hours. If you have only 3-4 hours, set it on HIGH for 3 hours.

2. Add Frozen or Canned Vegetables.

Remaining veggies needed for soup. — About 30–45 minutes before serving, stir in frozen vegetables, beans, salt-free seasoning, and pepper. Add more broth or water if needed.

3: Finish and Serve

Finished soup in slow cooker container with a spoon showing all the vegetables. — Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add Kitchen Bouquet if desired. Serve hot.

A Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe Without Tomatoes

By Paula Rhodes

This healthy vegetable beef soup is a great way to clean out the fridge and use up leftovers. All ingredients and amounts are negotiable. Please take a look at the recipe notes for directions for making this recipe on a stovetop.

5 from 6 votes

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Video

Prep time: 15

Cook time: 8

Total time: 8 15

Ingredients

½-1 cup (100-220 g) leftover pot-roast or pre-cooked beef cubed or shredded
1 quart (908 g) leftover gravy and/or beef broth If using broth, use homemade, canned, or bouillon cubes or paste with water.
2-3 medium potatoes, diced, peeled, or unpeeled
2-3 sliced whole carrots or sliced baby carrots
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup (165 g) frozen peas
1 cup (150 g) green beans I prefer canned or frozen.
1 cup (165 g) frozen corn
1 cup (100 g) frozen okra
1 cup (188 g) lima beans or other beans of your choice
1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning for example, McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb
⅓ tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

Instructions

Add Base Ingredients: Add the ½-1 cup (100-220 g) leftover pot-roast or pre-cooked beef, 1 quart (908 g) leftover gravy and/or beef broth, 2-3 medium potatoes, diced, peeled, or unpeeled, 2-3 sliced whole carrots or sliced baby carrots, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 bay leaf to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Add Veggies and Seasoning: Approximately 30-45 minutes before serving, add the 1 cup (165 g) frozen peas, 1 cup (150 g) green beans, 1 cup (165 g) frozen corn, 1 cup (100 g) frozen okra, 1 cup (188 g) lima beans, 1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning, ⅓ tablespoon freshly ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional) . Add more broth or water if necessary to cover the veggies. Turn the heat to HIGH on the slow cooker to finish cooking.
Optional: Add garlic, chili powder, or herbs like fresh parsley, thyme, oregano, or basil if you are feeling creative.
Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with freshly ground pepper and Kitchen Bouquet (if using) before serving. Serve hot.

Notes

Cooking on a stovetop: Use a large Dutch oven or a small stock pot. Heat the soup to a boil over medium heat, then let it simmer for an hour. When the carrots are tender, add the remaining ingredients. Heat over medium-low until all vegetables are cooked–usually 30-45 minutes. Serve hot.

Equipment

All-Clad SD712D51 4 Quart Deluxe Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel

Nutrition

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Your rating helps others find this recipe and keeps traditional favorites like this one easy to find.

Final Thoughts

This is another recipe I got from a friend. Although we rarely see each other anymore, I always think of her when I make it. Actually, I don’t know that she ever shared a written recipe. She just told me how she did it. Sometimes, those are the best kind.

If you need some homemade bread to sop up the delicious broth in this soup, you can’t go wrong with these Soft Bread Machine Breadsticks or this Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. For vegetable soup lovers, don’t miss my Spicy 7-Can Soup with Ground Beef. It’s a snap to put together.

— Paula
Home Economist
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14 Comments

Love the photo and the idea for using leftover pot roast! Funny, I don’t really like Halloween either. Tradition at our house is always chili (and red wine for me).

I made a roast Sunday so I could make this soup. It was so delicious. Yum. Thanks for great ideals and great recipes.

This looks delicious! We love having soup for a bit of a lighter dinner too. After all of the candy corns I’ve consumed, this would be a good option for tonight! I didn’t have a go-to vegetable soup recipe; I think this might be it!

Hi Paula,
Your Vegetable Beef Soup looks really good. I totally agree about leaving the tomatoes out of this soup so the flavors can become their own. I think celery would be a good addition to the soup if you like the flavor and of course one of your homemade rolls you have pictured with it. Yum Yum!!!

I almost always use turnips instead of white potatoes because they don’t get as mushy….

Your soup looks far from a fridge raid, I feel the same way about cabbage in my soup I went on that diet and it was yucky after a day. The only thing I would add is a big onion chopped up, but I know you are not a onion fan, me on the other hand can’t live with out them :).

I adore easy soups using leftovers and frozen stuff, but leftover pot roast is a misnomer in my house, it magically gets gobbled up! I’ll try the okra… if you say so! = )

I’m with you on the cabbage. I love raw cabbage but I don’t like it in soups…honestly I don’t like cooked cabbage at all. Your beef soup looks good and hearty and would be perfect for Halloween dinner around here…it’s going to be a chilly one.

Love the photo and the idea for using leftover pot roast! Funny, I don’t really like Halloween either. Tradition at our house is always chili (and red wine for me).

Paula – this looks wonderful – I think I would make a pot roast just to have this soup!

We have soup on Halloween night, too! It’s easy, and the kids never have much appetite anyways because they’re too anxious to get started with the trick-or-treating. Yours looks great–although I’m skipping the okra 😉

Oh… when I saw ‘too many Snickers’, I thought you made a post about me! I’ve been caught!

I was at the grocery store this morning and picked up ingredients for vegetable soup. My sweet Paula, I am so sad. You got it all wrong. It is no to okra and yes to cabbage. I even found a bag of frozen veggies with NO okra today. Can we still be friends?

Paula says:

at

Lorraine,
Of course, we will always be friends, my dear. Even if I never meet you in real life, I’m planning a bread-making party with you as soon as we both get to heaven.
And I would eat your cabbage soup too. It’s just not my favorite. 🙂

Reply

This looks so good! I love that you put okra in it, yum!

Paula Rhodes, Owner and Author Salad in a Jar

Paula Rhodes, Home Economist & Owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to prove that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my favorite ways to do that.