V8 Vegetable Soup
Great for cold winter days, this simple vegetable soup is packed full of veggies and V8 juice! Healthy, delicious, and easy to make - especially since it calls for ground beef.
The week after my fourth baby was born, a sweet friend from church knocked at my door.
It was early March in the midwest. We were having a late winter cold snap. Temperatures had dropped overnight and all I wanted to do was cuddle up with my newborn, a knit blanket, and netflix.
I drug myself off the couch and to the door, to find her bundled up head to toe - holding a steaming pot of vegetable soup in one hand and a loaf of fresh baked bread in the other! (Yes it was so cold outside that I could see the steam rolling off the food!)
Maybe it was the weather… or the postpartum hunger… but no meal had ever looked or tasted so good!
As we sat down for dinner that night my three little ones devoured the soup. They asked for seconds and even thirds - dipping their bread and butter into every bowl.
I texted my friend. I just had to know! What was the secret? What gave this seemingly basic veggie soup such wonderful flavor? What magical spell did she put on it to convince my kids to eat it without complaint?
The answer - V8 Juice!
This simple ingredient gives the soup an extra dose of flavor - not to mention extra servings of veggies!
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Check out this video from our channel, where I share the step-by-step recipe.
Also see 4 other soup recipes that are great for dinner tonight or for your freezer.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups red potatoes, diced
46 oz. V8 Vegetable Juice
4 cups beef broth
1 can peas
1 can green beans
How to Make V8 Vegetable Soup
1. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large stock pot or dutch oven.
2. Add one small diced onion. Saute over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in one teaspoon each minced garlic, oregano, and basil. Season generously with salt & pepper. Cook until fragrant.
4. Add 1 lb. of lean ground beef. Brown & drain off excess fat and drippings if desired.
5. Add 2 stalks of chopped celery, 2 carrots peeled and diced & 2 cups of diced potatoes. Slowly add a 46 oz bottle V8 Juice and one box of beef broth. Bring liquids to a boil and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
6. Reduce heat. Add one can each peas & green beans (can also substitute frozen). Stir well and cook until peas and beans are warmed through.
How to Freeze V8 Vegetable Soup
This makes an excellent freezer meal! For best results, follow the recipe as is.
Allow soup to cool completely before transferring to a ziploc bag or freezer storage container. Freeze for up six months.
When ready to eat, thaw soup overnight in refrigerator or use the defrost setting of your microwave.
Reheat in a large pot or dutch oven. If soup seems too thick or dry, add additional beef broth or water.
