Beef Minestrone Soup
At $1.70 a bowl, homemade Beef Minestrone Soup fills the kitchen with a delicious tomato aroma! The slow-cooked beef comes out fork tender. Top a piping hot bowl with fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese for another layer of flavor. Serve with hot crusty bread or blueberries muffins slathered with butter. It does not get much better! Read on for step by step instructions and 10 helpful tips!
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How to Make Beef Minestrone Soup
- Rinse Beef Stew Meat: Rinse and dry the Beef Stew Meat. Cut into bite size pieces.
- Brown the Meat: In a large frying pan, brown the Beef Stew Meat.
- Add Olive Oil: In a large soup pot, heat the Olive Oil over medium heat and then add the sweet onions to cook for a few minutes.
- Soup Broth: Add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste and 7 cups of water to the soup pot. Bing to a soft boil.
- Add Browned Meat: After browning the Beef Stew Meat, add it to the soup pot.
- Spices and Carrots: Add dried basil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and carrots. Mix into the soup.
- Simmer: Cover and simmer the Beef Minestrone Soup for 30-minutes on medium low heat.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the potatoes, garbanzo beans, and small shells pasta.
- Simmer: Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 hours.
- Taste Test: Take a taste test for any additional seasonings.
- Remove Bay Leaves: Before serving the soup, remove the bay leaves.
- Time to Enjoy! Ladle the Beef Minestrone Soup into bowls. Top with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan Cheese and serve with soup crackers.
10 Helpful Tips
- Trimming Stew Meat: This recipe calls for 1 pound of lean Beef Stew Meat. You may need to purchase more than a pound of beef depending upon how much fat you need to trim.
- Browning Stew Meat: If browning the Beef Stew Meat in a non-stick pan, I do not add Olive Oil; otherwise I add Olive Oil and preheat before adding the stew meat.
- Carrots: The carrots take time to cook so add them earlier. Make sure the heat is higher than simmering otherwise they will take too long to cook.
- Tomato Paste: When adding the tomato paste, I like to mix it first with a little water before adding to the soup pot.
- Tomatoes: We use diced tomatoes and tomato puree. You can use any style of tomato based upon your personal preference.
- Italian Seasonings: Use your favorite Italian Seasonings. Our preference is basil but other options include parsley, oregano, and rosemary.
- Fresh Herbs: When serving the soup, add some fresh herbs for a bright green color and another layer of flavor!
- Soup or Stew: You can make it thicker like a stew or thinner for a soup broth. If making thinner, you may need to add additional seasonings.
- Reheating: The Beef Minestrone Soup easily reheats in the microwave or on the stove-top.
- Small Shells Pasta: When storing overnight, the pasta can soak up the tomato broth. Have extra Tomato Paste in case you need to thin out the broth with water and tomato paste.

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Beef Minestrone Soup
Pin RecipeEquipment
- Large frying pan
- Large soup pot
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pounds Lean Beef Stew Meat cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cups Sweet Onions diced
- 1 can 28 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can 28 ounces Tomato Puree
- 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 7 to 8 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Dried Basil
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 2 cups Carrots chopped
- 2 cups Potatoes chopped
- 1 can Garbanzo Beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup Small Shells Pasta
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
- Parmesan Cheese
- Soup Crackers
- Blueberry Muffins
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the Beef Stew Meat. Cut into bite size pieces.
- In a large frying pan, brown the Beef Stew Meat.
- In a large soup pot, heat the Olive Oil over medium heat and then add the sweet onions to cook for a few minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste and 7 cups of water to the soup pot. Bing to a soft boil.
- After browning the Beef Stew Meat, add it to the soup pot.
- Add dried basil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and carrots. Mix into the soup.
- Cover and simmer for 30-minutes on medium low heat.
- Add the potatoes, garbanzo beans, and small shells pasta. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 hours.
- Take a taste test for any additional seasonings.
- Before serving the soup, remove the bay leaves.
- Ladle into soup bowls. Top with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan Cheese and serve with soup crackers.
Recipe Notes
- Trimming Stew Meat: This recipe calls for 1 pound of lean Beef Stew Meat. You may need to purchase more than a pound of beef depending upon how much fat you need to trim.
- Browning Stew Meat: If browning the Beef Stew Meat in a non-stick pan, I do not add Olive Oil; otherwise I add Olive Oil and preheat before adding the stew meat.
- Carrots: The carrots take time to cook so add them earlier. Make sure the heat is higher than simmering otherwise they will take too long to cook.
- Soup or Stew: You can make it thicker like a stew or thinner for a soup broth. If making thinner, you may need to add additional seasonings.
- Reheating: The soup easily reheats in the microwave or on the stove-top.
- Small Shells Pasta: When storing overnight, the pasta can soak up the tomato broth. Have extra Tomato Paste in case you need to thin out the broth with water and tomato paste.
Although I’m a long-time vegetarian, that is one incredibly beautiful bowl of soup! No doubt it’s equally as tasty.
Thank you so much! You could eliminate the beef and make it vegetarian. The broth is delicious!
This looks absolutely delicious!!!!!
Thanks so much! I have made this recipe for years. One of my favorite. 💕
I made this soup for my family last week, and it was so delicious…..I’m making it again this week. I added 2 chillies for a bit of heat.
The chilis sound wonderful and I will have to try that! Thank you for stopping by!