Old-Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup

I like to use stew meat that's already cubed. You can typically find this at the grocery store. I enjoy the big chunks and the tenderness of the cubed steak.
Ground beef though, also works really well with this recipe. The flavor will be similarity to stew meat, you'll just experience a different texture. It's also a bit more affordable than stew meat so it's a great option if you're on a budget.
If you're looking for a delicious and natural option, you may want to try grass-fed beef. I recently have become a fan after purchasing a grass-fed steak at the new market that opened up in town.

Use a dutch oven to make this a one-pot recipe.
This recipe calls for sauteing the stew meat to lock in juices and tenderness, and then slow cooking the soup ingredients with the broth. You can simmer the soup in a crockpot or on the stovetop.
You can sauté and simmer all in one pot using a dutch oven, to save dishes.
I love my dutch oven because of the fact that you can sauté, boil and even roast in the oven — all in the same pot. Perfect for recipes like soups and roasts. It's kinda like an old school Instapot, without the pressure cooking feature.
Here's the dutch oven I have and use frequently: 6-Quart Lodge Dutch Oven
Sometimes I use this method of cooking when I'm going to serve this soup right away. If I'm starting the soup early in the morning for later that day I'll saute everything and then transfer ingredients to my crockpot to simmer on low for a few hours before I switch it to warm. You can choose whatever method works best for your style of cooking, or your plans for the day. But just make sure you sauté first for the best flavor.
You can make this using one pot using a dutch oven or an Instapot, or you can use a combination of a skillet and a pot or slow cooker. There's no right or wrong method, just choose what fits your lifestyle or your day best.

Yes. You can prepare this soup using a combination of searing the meat on the stovetop then finishing off in the crockpot instead of the stovetop.
A slow cooker is ideal for the kind of days where you have a little time in the morning to get a jump start on dinner, saving time later in the day. You can prep and add all your ingredients and then set it to cook while you go to work or run errands, then come back to a ready-made meal.
Make sure if you are purchasing a crockpot, to go for one that has a timer built in that switches to keep warm when you want it to. This prevents overcooking if you plan to be gone longer than the cook time. Check out this slow cooker. if you're in the market for your first slow cooker or looking to upgrade.

Yep! The nice thing about an Instapot is you can sauté everything in the same pot. You'll need to use this setting to sear your meat and sauté the onions then you can use the Instapot to heat the remaining ingredients and broth quickly.
Once you saute, this soup needs just 12-15 minutes (see note) on high pressure to cook the vegetables and be ready to eat. Follow the directions provided with your Instapot for sautéing, heat up time and for releasing pressure safely.
Note: The longer you pressure cook, the more tender your vegetables and meat will be.
Don't own an Instapot?
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Here's the big secret to supremely flavorful soup: bullion!
To make a really flavorful soup, just add a little bouillon! Even if you're starting with beef broth, a little extra of the beef flavor goes a long way.
In general, when making soups, you want to match the meat and/or broth flavor when you add bullion. You only need a teaspoon or so of bullion at a time. The great thing is you can stir in some extra bullion at the end of preparing the recipe. So you can add a little bullion at a time, taste test, and then add more (or not) as your heart desires.
This recipe has a beef broth so you'll want to add beef bullion. You could also add vegetable bullion. I would not recommend adding chicken bullion to this soup.
Try de-glazing your pan for another boost of flavor.
If you want to be fancy and add flavor to your soup, you can de-glaze the skillet after you're done sautéing.
To do this, transfer all the solid ingredients out of the skillet then add ½ cup beef broth to the empty skillet.
Bring broth to a boil and carefully scrape the bits of leftover gristle from the sides and bottom of the skillet until they blend in with the broth. Then add the flavor-infused broth to your soup. YUM!

You'll be getting some natural juice from the stew meat, but you'll need a bit more meaty flavor for a rich broth. You can go with a variety of options for your broth: beef bullion + water, canned beef broth, or beef stock paste + water.
I like to start with a carton of beef broth (I like bone broth for the flavor and nutrients) then I add some extra beef bullion for a boost of beefy flavor. This is my secret to rich and delicious broth you can eat by itself!

You can add easy ingredients to add a little more flavor and some heat to this soup, I have tried the chipotle hot sauce, regular hot sauce, jalapenos, banana peppers, liquid smoke, green chiles and all have been delicious additions to this easy soup. You can also add Italian Seasoning, tomato sauce, orange juice, tomato juice, Soy Sauce, white pepper, garlic powder, red wine, cilantro, fresh parsley, and green onion to this soup to bring in additional types of flavors.

When a recipe calls for sauteing vegetables before adding them to the rest of the recipe it's because it breaks them down and releases more flavor and aroma, it also softens them so they cook faster instead of being crunchy in your finished recipe. You don't have to saute them, but if you have time, go for it and see what you think of the added flavor.