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Cozy Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe

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This cozy slow cooker ground beef and vegetable soup is the kind of meal that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, even on days when you absolutely don’t. It’s forgiving, flexible, and exactly what you want on a cold evening when all you can manage is chopping a few vegetables and letting your Crock-Pot do the rest.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef (80/20 works great)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 cup frozen green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 4 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (fire-roasted recommended)
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but highly recommended)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Let it cook undisturbed for about 3-4 minutes to develop a brown crust, then break into smaller pieces and continue cooking until fully browned, about 5-7 minutes total. Leave about a tablespoon of fat in the pan for flavor. Transfer the cooked beef to a plate or bowl and set aside.
  2. In the same skillet (do not wipe it out), add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until translucent and starting to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.
  3. Add the tomato paste to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir and let it cook for about a minute to deepen the flavor. Then pour in about ½ cup of the beef broth and scrape up any remaining browned bits (deglazing).
  4. Layer the ingredients in the slow cooker: start with the carrots and celery on the bottom. Add the browned ground beef on top, then pour in the onion-garlic-tomato paste mixture. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), the rest of the beef broth, the tomato sauce, and all the dried seasonings. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, add the zucchini, frozen corn, and frozen green beans. Stir them in, cover, and let them cook just until tender.
  6. Right before serving, stir in the frozen peas and remove the bay leaves. The peas only need a minute or two to warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the beef—it adds deep flavor. Layer vegetables according to cooking time: hearty ones (carrots, celery) go in first, tender ones (zucchini, peas) later. For a thicker soup, mash some cooked vegetables against the side of the slow cooker or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) at the end. Let the soup rest on warm for 30 minutes after cooking for even better flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker soup, ground beef soup, vegetable soup, cozy soup, easy dinner, meal prep, gluten-free, dairy-free

Find it online: https://avabowls.com/cozy-slow-cooker-ground-beef-and-vegetable-soup-recipe/