If you’re looking for an easy veggie beef soup that tastes like it simmered all afternoon, this is the one. My secret? A big bottle of V8 vegetable juice. It gives this vegetable beef soup so much tomato flavor and makes the broth incredibly flavorful without a lot of extra work.
This is one of those old-fashioned soup recipes that feels like it belongs in everybody’s recipe box. It starts with ground beef, then gets loaded up with vegetables, cabbage, tomatoes, and tiny shell pasta. Everything simmers together in that savory V8 broth until you have a big, hearty pot of soup that can feed the family.
And yes, I said V8. Don't knock it until you try it.
Why You'll Love This Veggie Beef Soup
There are a lot of reasons this easy veggie beef soup has become one of my favorite dinners.
- It's simple. Most of the ingredients are pantry or freezer staples.
- It's hearty. Ground beef, vegetables, cabbage, and pasta make this a complete meal.
- It's budget-friendly. You can feed a family without buying a long list of specialty ingredients.
- The V8 does a lot of the work. It creates a flavorful tomato-based broth without needing to build one from scratch.
- It makes great leftovers. In fact, I think this soup is even better the next day.
If easy dinners are your thing, you might also want to check out my Creamy Chicken Noodle Stew. It's another hearty one-pot meal that uses simple ingredients and gets dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.
The Secret Is the V8
I know a big bottle of V8 might sound like an unusual soup ingredient, but hear me out.
Instead of starting with plain beef broth and trying to build all that tomato and vegetable flavor yourself, V8 gives you a head start. It adds tomatoes, vegetables, and seasoning all in one bottle.
That's what makes this beef soup with V8 so easy.
You still get that rich, savory flavor you'd expect from a vegetable beef soup, but you don't need a complicated ingredient list or hours of simmering.
It's one of those little shortcuts that makes homemade dinner taste like you worked a lot harder than you actually did.
What You Need
You don't need anything fancy to make this homemade veggie beef soup.
Ground beef: I use ground beef because it's inexpensive, easy, and gives the soup plenty of savory flavor.
V8 vegetable juice: This is the secret ingredient. Use the original V8 vegetable juice for the best flavor.
Frozen mixed vegetables: No need to chop a mountain of vegetables. A bag of frozen mixed vegetables makes this incredibly easy.
Cabbage: Don't skip the cabbage. It adds a little sweetness and makes the soup even heartier.
Diced tomatoes: These add texture and even more tomato flavor to the broth.
Tiny shell pasta: I love using the tiny shells, but elbow macaroni works perfectly, too. I usually find the little shells in the Mexican foods aisle at the grocery store.
Onion and garlic: Because almost every good soup needs them.
Beef broth: You can adjust the amount depending on how brothy you like your soup.
Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper round everything out.
How to Make Veggie Beef Soup
Brown the Ground Beef
Start by browning your ground beef in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Break it up as it cooks, then drain any excess grease if necessary.
Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until they're softened and fragrant.
Add the Vegetables and V8
Pour in the V8 vegetable juice and diced tomatoes, then add your frozen mixed vegetables and chopped cabbage.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
Add beef broth until the soup reaches the consistency you like.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer.
Add the Pasta
Once the vegetables and cabbage have started to soften, stir in the tiny shell pasta.
The pasta only needs about 8 to 10 minutes to cook, so don't add it too early or you'll end up with mushy pasta.
As the pasta cooks, it will absorb some of the broth. If the soup gets thicker than you like, just add another splash of beef broth.
Taste and Serve
Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
Then ladle it into big bowls and serve it hot.
That's it.
No complicated techniques. No fancy ingredients. Just a big pot of really good homemade soup.
What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?
My favorite is tiny shell pasta, sometimes called small shells or little shells. I usually find it in the Mexican foods aisle at my grocery store.
If you can't find it, elbow macaroni is an excellent substitute.
You can also leave the pasta out altogether if you'd rather keep the soup lower in carbohydrates. The cabbage and vegetables still make it plenty hearty.
Just remember that pasta continues absorbing liquid as it sits, so you may need to add a little beef broth when reheating leftovers.
Can I Use Fresh Vegetables?
Absolutely.
I use frozen mixed vegetables because they're convenient and make this a really easy weeknight dinner. But if you have fresh vegetables hanging around in your refrigerator, this is a great soup for using them up.
Carrots, green beans, corn, peas, potatoes, celery, and additional cabbage all work well.
That's one of my favorite things about a good veggie beef soup. You don't have to be precious about it.
Use what you've got.
Make It Ahead
This is a fantastic make-ahead dinner.
The soup can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors have even more time to come together overnight.
The pasta will absorb some of the broth as it sits, so add a little extra beef broth when reheating.
If you're planning to freeze the soup, I recommend leaving the pasta out and cooking fresh pasta when you're ready to serve it. The texture will be much better.
More Easy Comfort Food
If you're in the mood for another easy dinner that doesn't require a complicated grocery list, take a look through my full recipe index.
A few more of my favorite easy dinners include Boursin Chicken Stroganoff and my Semi-Homemade Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. Both are great examples of my favorite kind of cooking: simple ingredients, plenty of flavor, and dinner that actually works for real life.
And if you're feeding a crowd, my recipe index has plenty of family-style and potluck recipes to browse.
The Bottom Line
This easy veggie beef soup is exactly the kind of recipe I love having in my back pocket.
It's inexpensive, filling, easy to customize, and made with ingredients you can actually find at the grocery store.
But the real trick is that bottle of V8.
It might not be the most traditional way to make vegetable beef soup, but it works. And sometimes the best recipes are the ones with a little shortcut hiding in plain sight.
So grab the V8, brown up some ground beef, throw everything into a pot, and let dinner take care of itself.
V8 Veggie Beef Soup
Equipment
- 1 large dutch oven or cast iron pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (I use 93/7)
- 1 large bottle V8 vegetable juice
- 1 head cabbage, shredded
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1-2 cups beef broth, as needed
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1-2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup tiny shell pasta (elbow macaroni works great, too!)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add in your chopped or shredded cabbage and cook until it starts to wilt.
- Add the V8, frozen vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add enough beef broth to reach your desired soup consistency.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have come together.Stir in the tiny shell pasta and continue simmering until the pasta is tender, about 8–10 minutes. Add additional broth if needed as the pasta cooks.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.
Notes
- The V8 is the secret! It gives this veggie beef soup tons of tomato and vegetable flavor without a complicated broth.
- Tiny shell pasta is my favorite, but elbow macaroni works great, too. I usually find the little shells in the Mexican foods aisle at the grocery store.
- The pasta will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so add a little extra broth when reheating if needed.
- Add the pasta as the last step before you're ready to serve, so it doesn't have time to absorb and get too mushy.
- Cabbage adds a little sweetness and makes the soup extra hearty.
- Use whatever vegetables your family loves. Frozen mixed vegetables make this especially easy.
- This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to develop.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze without the pasta for the best texture, or freeze leftovers knowing the pasta will soften a bit when reheated.
Key Takeaways
- This easy veggie beef soup uses V8 vegetable juice for flavor, making it simpler to prepare.
- The recipe features ground beef, vegetables, cabbage, and tiny shell pasta for a hearty meal.
- It's budget-friendly and relies on pantry staples, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Leftovers taste even better, and you can make it ahead for convenience.
- You can customize the soup with fresh vegetables or adjust the pasta for your preferences.
