Stew beef simmered tender with a full garden of vegetables — tomatoes, corn, green beans, potatoes, carrots, okra — in a savory broth. The clean-out-the-vegetable-drawer soup.
Vegetable beef soup is the everything-pot — the soup that turns a little meat and whatever vegetables are on hand into a big, feed-the-family meal. It's a fixture of Southern Sunday and weeknight cooking and a frugal way to eat a wide range of vegetables at once.
Pairing heme iron and zinc from the beef with the vitamin C of the tomato base maximizes iron absorption — directly useful against the iron-deficiency anemia common among Black women. The wide spread of vegetables delivers a broad mix of fiber, potassium, beta-carotene, and antioxidants in one bowl, while the tomato's cooked lycopene supports cardiovascular health. A bone-in cut adds collagen to the broth. The vegetable load means satiety and nutrient density at a relatively low calorie cost.
Brown stew beef (or use a bone-in cut for richer broth), then simmer with diced tomato and broth until tender, 1.5-2 hours. Add hardy vegetables (potato, carrot) first, then quicker-cooking ones (corn, green beans, okra, cabbage) so nothing turns to mush. Season with onion, garlic, bay, thyme, and black pepper; keep added salt light.
Free, no account needed to ask.