Dive into a cozy bowl of vegan vegetable beef soup. This chunky, vegetable laden soup is teeming with carrots, green beans, peas, and celery. Savory vegan steak and chewy barley add bite. This comforting soup is sure to scratch that nostalgia itch.
Growing up, I ate my weight in Campbell’s vegetable beef soup. If only my parents had gotten stock in it. (Pun fully intended.)
Packed with potatoes, carrots, green beans, celery, and onions in a tomato-y beef broth, it was one of my favorite foods. I’d eat it multiple times a week.
But the best part of the soup was the tiny little potatoes with the divots in the middle. I was later informed that those weren’t potatoes at all. They were barley, a hearty grain that I didn’t see anywhere else in my life as a kid.
I loved that the barley added just the right amount of chew, much more than the rice we usually had at our house.
Of course, while Campbell’s soup still exists, I haven’t bought a can in at least 20 years or more.
However, I have had a lot of fun recreating those old classic flavors into a veganized vegetable beef soup recipe using veggies aplenty, barley, and toothsome vegan steak.
If you’re looking for a steaming bowl of nostalgia, you’re going to love this one!
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Oil: Avocado oil is my go-to, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work here.
Vegan steak: I like to use frozen Impossible steak bites for this recipe. It has a good flavor & texture, and it’s already just the right size for soup. You can find it with other vegan meats in the freezer section at the grocery store.
However, any plant-based steak works here – including Beyond or Gardein steak tips, or steak-style seitan. If you’re using a full-sized vegan steak, cut it down to bite-sized pieces before browning in the soup pot.
Produce: Onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potato, green beans, and peas. I generally use Russet potatoes for this recipe, but Yukon gold is also a solid choice. For the green beans and peas, you can use either fresh or frozen.
If using frozen green beans, the cut variety can be added straight from the freezer. If you’re using fresh green beans, make sure you trim and cut them into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the soup.
Red wine: Deglazing the soup pot with red wine adds delicious, rich flavor that amplifies the meatiness of the broth. My preferred wine varieties for this soup are Malbec, Tempranillo, or Garnacha. Specifically, I use La Sonriente Garnacha from Trader Joe’s. (It’s just $6.99, and also a tasty wine for drinking!)
If you would rather cook without wine, simply omit it.
Remember: Not all wine is vegan. Animal ingredients like casein, albumen (from eggs), gelatin, and isinglass (from fish bladders) are sometimes used in the fining process.
If the wine you’re buying isn’t clearly labeled, barnivore.com is a great resource to see if a wine is vegan or not.
Seasonings: Marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and salt.
Bouillon: Better Than Bouillon no beef base is what I recommend. However, any vegan beef-style bouillon that you like works here.
Vegan Worcestershire sauce: This provides tanginess and umami that’s often associated with steak. Typically Worcestershire sauce isn’t vegan, because it includes anchovies. So look for vegan brands like Wizard’s.
Pantry staples: Tomato paste and tamari add umami. (Low sodium tamari is my preference.) However, tamari can be replaced with your preferred soy sauce.
Pearled barley: Also known as pearl barley, this is the processed form of barley in which the outer husk and some of the bran have been removed. It takes a lot less time to cook than hulled barley. Because of that, with hulled barley your vegetables would be too soft by the time the barley was tender.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Lightly coat a soup pot with oil, and add bite-sized pieces of vegan steak. (Straight from frozen or refrigerated are equally fine). Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add a little more oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Combine and sauté another 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic are fragrant. Add thyme and marjoram, and cook another 30 seconds or so.
3. Deglaze the pot with red wine, and incorporate any stuck bits from the bottom of the pot into the sauce. Cook down the wine about 3 minutes.
4. Add water, no beef bouillon, vegan Worcestershire sauce, tamari, tomato paste, bay leaves, barley, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to low medium, cover, and cook for 35 minutes, until the barley is tender.
Keep an eye on your timer, and when there’s 20 minutes of cooking time left, add the potatoes. When there’s 15 minutes left, add the green beans. And when there’s 3 to 5 minutes left, add the peas.
Note: If you prefer very soft potatoes, green beans, and peas, you can add these ingredients at the same time as the barley. Just be aware that the color of the green beans and peas won’t be vibrant.
Once the barley is tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and ladle the soup into bowls.
Make it your own
You can make this soup your own by varying the ingredients and timing.
Vary the vegan steak
There are many different types of vegan steak on the market, and I’ve used a variety while working on this recipe. However, I think Impossible steak bites are the best for this soup. I add them to the pot straight from frozen.
If you prefer, other brands like Beyond and Gardein also make vegan steak that works well here.
You can also use seitan-style steak. Just cut it into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the pot.
I don’t recommend using Trader Joe’s beefless bulgogi for this soup recipe. While testing the recipe, I air fried the strips until crispy around the edges, chopped them into bite-sized pieces, and then added them later to the soup. Even though the texture was fabulous, the bulgogi added too much sweetness.
Prefer a whole foods option? Try sautéing ¾ cup of sliced mushrooms instead of vegan steak, or add ½ cup of dried brown lentils at the same time as the barley. (If using dried lentils, you may need to add more water at the end to compensate for extra absorption.)
Vary the veggies
You can easily swap out the potatoes, green beans, and/or peas for a different veggie, if you prefer. Think corn, zucchini, yellow summer squash, bell pepper, cabbage, parsnips, turnips, and/or kale.
Just keep in mind that some vegetables take longer than others to cook, and you may want to add them earlier or later in the process.
If you’re replacing one vegetable with another, use roughly the same amount, or account for adding a lot more vegetables in general by increasing the water & seasonings as needed.
For a simple garnish, finish the individual bowls of soup with a sprinkling of chopped chives or fresh parsley.
Vary the timing
There’s something very nostalgic about super soft potatoes, green beans, and peas in this soup. It feels like it’s been cooking all day. If you like very soft textures, add these ingredients at the same time as the barley.
However, if you prefer more toothsome potatoes, green beans, and peas, add them later in the cooking process (as listed in the recipe card). Adding them later also helps the green beans and peas to maintain their vibrant green colors.
Add flour to thicken
If you prefer more of a beef stew-like consistency, coat the vegan meat in ½ Tablespoon of all-purpose flour before adding the vegetables, and it will thicken the soup.
Serving suggestions
This hearty, rib sticking soup is a full meal on its own with veggies, whole grains, and protein-rich vegan steak. Serve it with crackers, garlic bread, or homemade croutons.
It also goes well with any of these salads to lighten it up:
Storage instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 4 days. (The flavors only deepen with time, which makes the leftovers a treat to eat.)
Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave.
FAQ
Yes, this soup can be made gluten-free.
Replace barley with ½ cup of brown rice, or replace it with an additional cup of chopped potatoes.
Then use gluten-free varieties of tamari, vegan Worcestershire (like Wizard’s), vegan steak (like Impossible steak tips), and gluten-free bouillon or broth.
Be aware that Better Than Bouillon no beef base is made in a facility where wheat ingredients are housed, so according to their FAQ, they do not certify that their products are gluten free.
However, Edward & Sons’ Not Beef bouillon cubes are gluten-free. You’ll need 3 of their bouillon cubes to replace a Tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon.
Yes, simply leave the wine out if you’d prefer not to cook with alcohol.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Chunky vegan vegetable beef soup with barley
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil divided
- 1 cup Impossible steak bites or your preferred vegan steak tips
- 1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
- 1 cup sliced carrots thickly cut
- 1 cup sliced celery thickly cut
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt plus a pinch more, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon marjoram dried leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried leaves
- ½ cup red wine
- 8 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon Better Than Bouillon no beef base
- ¾ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup pearled barley
- 3 bay leaves dried
- 1 medium Russet potato about 1 cup chopped
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup cut green beans fresh or frozen*
Instructions
- Bring a large soup pot to a medium heat, and add a teaspoon of avocado oil. Add Impossible steak bites, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add another teaspoon of oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Incorporate with the vegan steak, and cook another 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic are fragrant.
- Add marjoram & thyme, and cook another 30 seconds, fully incorporating them with the onions and garlic.
- Add red wine to the pot, and use a spoon to incorporate any browned bits of steak or onions stuck to the pot. (This deglazes the pot & adds a lot of flavor.) Cook the wine down for about 3 minutes.
- Add water, Better Than Bouillon no beef base, vegan Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, pearled barley, and bay leaves. Stir to incorporate, and bring to a simmer. Then lower heat to low-medium, and cover. Cook for 35 minutes, until the barley is tender.Keep an eye on your cooking timer. When there's 20 minutes of cooking time left, add the potatoes. When there's 15 minutes left, add the green beans. And when there's 3 to 5 minutes left, add the peas.(Note: If you prefer very soft potatoes, green beans, and peas, you can add them at the same time as the barley. Just be aware that the color of the green beans and peas won't be vibrant.)
- Once the barley & potatoes are tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and ladle the soup into bowls.
Shell
Vegetable beef soup was a staple at my house growing up, too. Thank you for creating a vegan version!
Cadry Nelson
Yay! So glad to hear that.