Homemade Beef Noodle Soup
This beef noodle soup is a chunkier and heartier version of a classic chicken noodle soup made with tender chunks of beef, tender veggies, tons of egg noodles, and a broth brimming with a flavour. An easy homemade soup made in one pot perfect for busy families!
Cozying up with a bowl of immune-boosting soup is just one of the ways to keep your family warm this winter. It’s a simple soup ready in just over an hour. The simmering time allows the fibres in the beef to break down and become nice and tender along with allowing the seasonings to do their thing getting absorbed and melding into what will become mouthwatering spoonfuls.
I like using the traditional carrot, celery, and onion with the addition of peas and spinach, but you can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. The same goes for the noodles, eggs noodles are nice and light and not overpowering, so I enjoy them but again, use what you’ve got!
This flexible soup is going to be great no matter what. Especially when served with a side of crusty bread and perhaps a glass of red wine. It’s a one-pot, budget-friendly soup that’s perfect for weeknights and chilly weather!
Ingredients
- Beef cubes – boneless beef chuck steak is what I usually use.
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Veggies – Carrots, celery, frozen peas, baby spinach.
- Aromatics – Onion, garlic, bay leaf.
- Broth – for a more robust flavour, you can use either homemade or store bought.
- Tomato paste
- Herbs – Oregano, basil
- Egg noodles – I like the taste of egg noodles in soup although you can also use a regular dry pasta, even a short pasta works.
How to Make Beef Noodle Soup
Chop the the carrots, celery and onion.
Heat oil in a large pot and add the beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brown all sides, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and give it a good stir. Cook on low for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, approximately 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth, tomato paste, and spices and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, while partially covered with a lid. Stir occasionally.
Add the peas and cook until tender then add the noodles and cook until al dente.
Stir in the spinach towards the end, just to wilt it, before serving. Enjoy!
How to make homemade broth
For this recipe Italians like to use a beef based broth, if you wish you can make a vegetable broth. Of course if you prefer you can use store bought, just be careful when adding salt to the recipe. Store bought broth tends to be saltier.
In a large pot add a few pieces of meat (bone in is also a good idea), a carrot and an onion peeled and cut in half, a celery stalk cut in two, a bay leaf, 2-3 pepper corns, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt and 12 cups of water. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about three hours. Stir occasionally and remove any foam that appears on the top of the broth. Pour the broth through a sieve, and let the liquid cool before using.
Any unused broth can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in freezer safe containers and will keep for up to 6 months.
Tips & Variations
- This soup, as you can imagine, works for all kinds of meat including chicken, turkey, and sausage. If using ground meat, simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- If using already cooked meat, you can add it in at the end to warm through. Be sure to use a flavourful broth (ie. not just water!) as there will be no meat cooking while simmering to add flavour to the broth.
- I used boneless beef chuck steak cut into 1/2- 1″ pieces. You could also use stewing beef that comes pre-cut.
- Adjust the amount of salt you add depending on how salty your broth is. Start with a little sprinkling and go from there.
- For this recipe, I used vegetable broth. You can use whichever you prefer, whether homemade or store-bought. Feel free to use beef broth for a more robust flavour!
When people refer to pasta as being cooked to al dente it means cooking it to a point where it still has a bite to it. Not fully cooked so that the noodles are soft. This way, they can sit in the heat without overcooking and getting mushy.
Technically no, but it’s highly recommended you do so. Browning the exterior not only imparts a major flavour that gets added into the soup, but creating a crust also helps to trap the moisture of the meat inside, and helps it not to overcook and dry out.
You bet! Brown the meat in a skillet first, then add all of the ingredients to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
Once completely cooled, keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Whenever you feel like some comfy noodle soup I hope you give the Homemade Beef Noodle Soup a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
More Delicious Soup recipes
Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Boneless beef chuck steak (cut in small chunks ½-1 inch (1-2 cm) pieces)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt (depends on how salty your broth is) start with a pinch
- 1-2 dashes black pepper (or hot pepper flakes)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups broth (I use vegetable you can also use beef/ homemade or store bought)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼-½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼-½ teaspoon basil
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1-2 cups baby spinach
- 3-4 ounces egg noodles (dry) (90-120 grams)
Instructions
- In a large pot add the oil and heat, add the beef, sprinkle with salt & pepper, cook stirring occasionally until the beef has browned. Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion and garlic, stir to combine. Cook on low stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomato paste and spices, stir to combine. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 30-45 minutes, add the peas and cook until tender, add the noodles cook stirring until al dente (if needed add more water or broth). Stir in the spinach and serve. Enjoy!
Hello, I made a HUGE pot of this soup yesterday. And I mean HUGE because I had a 4.5 lb. chuck roast from the butcher. Never thought about how adding some tomato paste transforms a soup into a whole other flavor profile. Absolutely delicious even yesterday as soon as the noodles were done but will be even better today since it had time to ‘marry” overnight. It’s a cold and rainy day here in Pittsburgh, PA and I think I will made some bread and we’ll be having soup for dinner, with the rest going into the freezer and over to my kids’ homes. Thank you for sharing — perfect timing!
Hi Carolyn & Nick thanks so much, so glad you liked it. And yes it is even better the day after. Have a great week.