Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 waxy yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Protein and seasonings:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (no-salt added)
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Liquid:
- 1 quart chicken stock or beef broth
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to soften and turn translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet with the onions. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until it’s completely browned. Season with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt while cooking.
- Drain any excess fat from the skillet, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the paste from burning.
- Transfer the beef mixture to your slow cooker. Add all the chopped vegetables: celery, carrots, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and potato chunks.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and black pepper over everything in the slow cooker.
- Pour in the chicken stock and water. Stir everything together gently to make sure the seasonings are distributed evenly.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. The soup is ready when the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before serving. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Notes
- Brown the ground beef first for better flavor and texture – don’t skip this step
- Cut all vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly
- Don’t lift the lid during cooking unless absolutely necessary – it releases heat and extends cooking time
- Use waxy potatoes instead of russet because they hold their shape better in the slow cooker
- Add extra broth or water if the soup gets too thick during cooking
- Season at the end and adjust to taste since salt levels can concentrate during slow cooking
- For richer flavor, use beef broth instead of chicken stock
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg