Beef Minestrone Soup (No Beans or Pasta)
This hearty homemade ground beef minestrone soup is packed full of eight vegetables (!!) and is made without beans or pasta. Simple to prepare in one-pot on the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot, it’s a hearty but not heavy, and will warm you from the inside out.
5 star review
“Sunday Night Family Dinner… Big Hit! Especially with my extremely health conscious gluten intolerant son!”
– Stasia
Ground Beef Minestrone with Alllllll the Veggies
If you’re looking for simple and hearty soup filled with ground beef and tons of veggies, then you’re in the right place! This one-pot ground beef veggie soup is absolutely packed with veggies (eight, to be exact) and is filling even without the addition of beans or pasta traditionally found in minestrone soup.
I’ve personally always been a big fan of minestrone in all variations (my slow cooker vegetarian minestrone is another favorite), with all its delicious flavors and interesting textures. For this twist on the traditional soup, I wanted to make a version that kept all the taste of the classic we know and love, but without the beans and noodles. Plus, the beauty of this recipe is that it can be made in the instant pot, slow cooker or stovetop – keeping all your options open on busy weeks!
And, because there are no beans or pasta, this recipe is perfect if you’re gluten-free, paleo, or doing a Whole30, but it’s also great if you just want a veggie filled hearty bowl of soup that will warm you up from the inside out.
Quick note to be sure not to skip the vinegar at the end, or the healthy drizzle of olive oil, either. Both of these ingredients add vibrancy and brightness to the soup (and will make it so you never miss the pasta or dairy either).
All you need to do to make this one, regardless of whether you’re making it on the stovetop, Instant Pot, or crockpot, is heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the beef and cook for 5-8 minutes (or until browned), then add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes, until just softened. From there, everything goes in to simmer in a dutch oven, a 6-quart slow cooker, or pressure cooker. At the end all you need to do is add the vinegar, stir to combine before tasting and add additional salt & olive oil, and you are good to go!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
Ground beef: I used lean ground beef for this recipe but you could use regular ground beef too. In this case you may just want to drain any grease from the pan before cooking the onions. Ground turkey would also work great in its place.
Onion: If you don’t like or can’t eat onions, feel free to skip them in this recipe.
Carrots: Whole, chopped carrots yield the best flavor for this soup, or use pre-shedded as a short-cut. If using pre-shredded note they may fall apart during the cooking process, but will still add plenty of flavor.
Kale: I chose kale for this recipe because it’s hearty enough to withstand cooking in the pressure cooker and slow cooker. If you wanted to use chopped baby spinach instead, you could add it right at the end of cooking. It will wilt easily into the hot broth.
Sweet potato: I like sweet potatoes in this recipe but waxy yellow potatoes, russet, or even butternut squash would also work well.
Diced tomatoes: Diced tomatoes are a great time-saving pantry staple to keep on hand and add great depth of flavor to homemade soups.
Red wine vinegar: The vinegar adds a nice flavor lift and light acidity to the soup that balances the other flavors very well. It pairs particularly well with tomato based soup broths. But you can also use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in its place.
Olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil best in this recipe. But any neutral oil will work in this soup, such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or canola.
For a spicer version: Add red pepper flakes for a little extra kick.
Tip: This recipe is pretty versatile, so feel free to use whatever veggies you like and have on hand.
Storing & freezing Leftover Soup
Homemade soups keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This recipe also freezes well, store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
If you’re going to make this with pasta, I suggest storing it in the fridge separately so your noodles don’t get soggy. I would also freeze it without the pasta too for best results.
More Delicious Ground Beef Soups
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
Beef Minestrone Soup (No Beans or Pasta)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cups shredded or chopped carrot
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups chopped green beans, fresh or frozen defrosted
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 2 cups diced sweet potato
- 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon no-salt-added Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Equipment
- Instant Pot optional
- Slow Cooker optional
- Dutch Oven optional
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the beef and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-8 minutes or until browned.
- Add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes, until just softened.
- Add the carrot, zucchini, green beans, kale, sweet potato, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and chicken stock, stirring to combine.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook until the veggies are cooked and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Add the vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the beef and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-8 minutes or until browned.
- Add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes, until just softened.
- Carefully transfer the cooked beef and onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the carrot, zucchini, green beans, kale, sweet potato, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and chicken stock, stirring to combine.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours, or until the soup is bubbling and the veggies are tender. Add the vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in an electric pressure cooker set to saute for 10 minutes. Add the beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
- Add the onion, carrot, zucchini, green beans, kale, sweet potato, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and chicken stock, stirring to combine.
- Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the pressure cooker timer is done, quick release the pressure.
- Add the vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- Keep in mind that it will take about 18-25 minutes for the pressure cooker to come to pressure before the 5 minutes of pressurized cooking time.
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For more ingredient substitutions, see blog post above.
Sunday Night Family Dinner
Big Hit! Especially with my extremely health conscious gluten intolerant son!
Yay, so glad this one was a hit!
How long do you recommend in the slow cooker on low or high? Looks like the instructions are from Stove Top
Hi Maggie, As long as you sauté the ground beef first, you’ll need to cook everything in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6.
This was really good!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one Stephanie!