Beef noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food, combining tender beef, vegetables, and vermicelli noodles in a flavorful broth. Made with a blend of fresh and pantry-friendly ingredients, it delivers homemade taste in a fraction of the time.
What's great about this recipe
- Loaded with vegetables: Packed with a variety of vegetables, this soup is wholesome and satisfying.
- Budget-friendly: A wonderful way to stretch a pound of beef into a complete, hearty meal without breaking the bank.
- Great for lunch or dinner: This warm, comforting soup is a filling meal that's great for lunch or dinner. It also reheats beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep or leftovers.
- Customizable: Easy to adapt with your favorite vegetables, pasta, or seasonings.
Ingredients
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Oil - Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, as the beef is browned at medium-high heat. We use canola oil, but feel free to use your favorite.
Beef - Sirloin steak works best for this easy recipe because it's tender and doesn't require a long cooking time. Use any sirloin cut available, such as sirloin, sirloin tip, or top sirloin steak-ideally, whatever is on sale.
Spices - Salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper add plenty of flavor to this dish.
Vegetables - The soup base is made with onion, celery, and garlic, then finished with mixed vegetables. Using a bag of mixed vegetables is an easy way to add variety without extra prep work.
Pantry Staples - You'll need tomato paste for added flavor and color, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and vermicelli noodles. Vermicelli is the perfect choice for this recipe; we found an inexpensive small bag with the noodles already broken.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make beef noodle soup
- Season the steak with salt. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, arrange in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes, stir occasionally. If needed, cook 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates and the beef sizzles.
- Then, lower the heat to medium and add the onions and celery. Cook for 2 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stir often.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and beef broth, gently scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to bring the broth to a simmer, then lower it to medium-low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
- Add the vermicelli and raise the heat to bring the liquid back to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- Add the vegetables and ensure the soup is simmering. If not raise the heat a bit. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally and maintain a simmer; adjust the heat as needed.
Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours. Serve crusty bread for dipping or saltine crackers, if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- Noodles: If you don't have vermicelli noodles, use broken thin spaghetti or any other thin noodle. Small pasta shapes like orzo or stelline work well, too, see how they're used in our vegetable beef soup and pastina soup.
- Broth: Substitute chicken broth if you don't have beef broth. While the color and flavor won't be as rich, the result will still be a wonderfully savory soup.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free pasta or substitute the noodles with rice for a naturally gluten-free alternative. Be sure to check your broth and other ingredients for hidden gluten.
- Vegetables: Swap the frozen mixed vegetables for fresh or other frozen varieties like peas and carrots, green beans, or corn. Just adjust cooking times as needed.
- Beef: If sirloin isn't available, you can use stew beef or another affordable cut, though it may require slightly longer cooking to become tender.
Storing and reheating instructions
Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely before storing. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freezer: To freeze, cool the soup quickly and transfer it to airtight, freezer-safe containers. Leave about an inch of space to allow for expansion. Label with the content and date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Stovetop - Place the soup in a covered saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (at least 165°F). Microwave - Transfer the soup to a microwave-safe dish and heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until hot.
Reheating tip: Add a few tablespoons of broth or water while reheating if the soup has thickened during storage.
📖 Food safety: Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Recipe tips and notes
- Use a large, heavy pot: A 6-quart enameled Dutch oven works great. It distributes heat evenly and provides plenty of space for stirring.
- Don't skip browning the beef: This step adds depth of flavor and creates delicious browned bits (fond) that enhance the soup's taste.
- Stir the pasta frequently: After adding vermicelli or other pasta, stir often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Go easy on the salt: Prepackaged ingredients like broth and canned tomatoes often contain plenty of salt. Wait until the soup is finished cooking to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
A big bowl of soup on a cold day is comfort food at its best. If you enjoyed this recipe, try our hearty beef potato and carrot stew or the popular sopa de res, a Cuban-style beef soup loaded with meat, vegetables, and white rice. Looking for more soups to warm you up on cooler days? Check out our mushroom soup, perfect for lunch, or the family-favorite alphabet soup.
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📖 Recipe
Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Sirloin Steak cut into small cubes (about ½ - ¾ inch); use any cut of sirloin available, such as sirloin tip or top sirloin
- 1 teaspoon Salt we use kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil neutral with a high smoke point (we use canola oil)
- 1 Medium Onion small dice
- 1 Celery Rib diced or sliced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) can Diced Tomatoes, undrained (we use petite diced)
- 6 cups Beef Broth
- ½ - ¾ cup Broken Vermicelli Noodles or other broken thin noodle or pastina (adjust quantity based on desired thickness)
- 10 ounces Frozen Mixed Vegetables defrosted (cooked to about half the time recommended on the package instructions) We use a combination of carrots, peas, corn, and green beans.
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the beef cubes. Arrange them in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, cook for 1-2 more minutes until the liquid evaporates and the beef sizzles, stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and celery. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Stir while gently scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a simmer (about 5 minutes). Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
- Add the vermicelli noodles and raise the heat to bring the liquid back to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- Add the mixed vegetables to the pot. Ensure the soup is simmering; if not, raise the heat slightly. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Keep the broth at a simmer, adjust the heat as needed.
- Taste the soup and add more salt, if necessary. As a reference, we added an additional ½ teaspoon.
- Serve with crusty bread or saltine crackers for dipping, or enjoy it on its own.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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