High-Protein Beef Vegetable Soup
High-Protein Beef Vegetable Soup
Beef, cabbage, a tomato broth – 40 minutes, one pot
This is a ground-beef vegetable soup, not a stew with potatoes. Brown the beef, add cabbage, carrot, and celery, then simmer in a tomato broth until the ladle looks like the photo. No pasta. Forty minutes on the stove, or the slow cooker if you want the crock in the photo.
Six bowls. The carrots cook through if you dice them small.
Why you’ll love this pot
- 32g protein per bowl – dinner that holds you
- Only 9g net carbs – cabbage and a little carrot, no potatoes
- About 40 minutes, one pot
- Beef, cabbage, carrot, celery, tomato broth, like the photo
- No noodles, no flour thickener
- It freezes for lunch
Health notes
- High protein: About 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef.
- Low carb: Cabbage, celery, and a modest amount of carrot.
- Six bowls: One pot, six servings.
- Macros are per serving, not the whole crock.
Key element – brown the beef, then dice the carrots small
Raw beef dumped into broth tastes gray. Brown it first and drain extra fat so the tomato broth stays bright, like the ladle in the photo. Small carrot dice cooks in 40 minutes. Big chunks stay hard.
Ingredients
Soup (6 servings)
- 1 1/2 lb (680g) lean ground beef (93%)
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, small dice
- 4 cups chopped green cabbage
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, no sugar added
- 4 cups beef broth, low sodium
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Swaps
- Turkey: Same weight. Add 1 tsp oil so it browns.
- Slow cooker: Brown beef first, then 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low.
- No carrot: Skip it. Net carbs drop a little. Still looks like soup.
- Zucchini: Add 1 diced zucchini in the last 8 minutes.
Instructions
| 1 | Brown. In a large pot, brown beef and onion 6 to 7 minutes. Drain extra fat. Stir in garlic 30 seconds. |
| 2 | Vegetables. Add celery, carrot, cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Stir. |
| 3 | Simmer. Bring to a boil. Drop to a steady simmer, uncovered, 25 to 28 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the carrots are cooked, like the photo. |
| 4 | Taste. Pull the bay leaf. Taste salt. If the broth is thin, simmer 5 more minutes. If it is too thick, splash in broth. |
| 5 | Serve. Ladle into 6 bowls so you see beef, cabbage, and carrot in the tomato broth, like the photo. |
Pro tips
- Dice carrots small. Big coins stay hard at 40 minutes.
- Do not cover the pot the whole time. Steam keeps it watery.
- Drain the beef or a grease film sits on the broth.
- Cabbage cooks down. Four cups looks like a lot, then it shrinks.
- The slow cooker in the photo works if you brown the beef first.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 of 6) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 280 |
| Protein | 32g |
| Net carbohydrates | 9g |
| Total carbohydrates | 12g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Total fat | 12g |
| Sodium | 680mg |
Estimates with 93% beef, cabbage, carrot, and no-sugar tomatoes. Potatoes or pasta will raise carbs.
Variations
Spicy
Add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes with the paprika.
Italian
Stir in 1 extra tsp Italian seasoning and a handful of parsley at the end.
Extra veg
Add 1 diced zucchini or 1 cup green beans in the last 10 minutes.
Slow cooker
Brown beef, dump everything in, 4 hours on high or 7 on low. Matches the crock in the photo.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 4 days | Reheat on the stove 8 minutes |
| Freezer | Up to 2 months | Cool, then freeze in 6 boxes |
| Meal prep | 6 boxes | One bowl per box |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about this pot
1. Protein per serving?
2. Net carbs per serving?
3. How many bowls in the pot?
4. What do you do before the broth goes in?
5. How should the carrots be cut?
