Keto Beefy Minestrone Soup (Hearty, Veggie-Loaded Comfort Food)

The first crispness of fall air is what gets me thinking about this soup every single year. Keto beefy minestrone soup is loaded with fresh vegetables, and it is versatile enough to hold whatever you have on hand.

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This is genuinely a fall favorite in my house, and it freezes well enough that I usually double the batch on purpose. A heavy-bottomed pot matters here, a thin one scorches easily once the soup is simmering.

Add the vegetables in stages. Onions and carrots need more time than zucchini or bell pepper, which turn to mush if they go in too early.

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Chef Jenn’s Take on Beefy Minestrone Soup

Years ago, running my own deli-style business, a customer once told me soup was the easiest thing in the world to cook, just throw veggies into a pot with broth and call it done. That is true in the loosest sense, but the best soups, this one included, are built on layers of flavor, not a single dump-and-simmer step.

Brown the beef first, then build the aromatic base with onion, garlic, and celery. The broth, tomatoes, and kale simmer alongside the beef until tender, and only then do the faster-cooking vegetables, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, and cabbage, join the pot. Add those too early and they turn to mush by the time everything else catches up.

If you are watching carbs closely, green beans, carrots, and onions run a bit higher than the rest of the vegetables here.

One reader split a double batch, keeping most of it keto and adding gluten-free pasta to a portion for family members who wanted noodles. Both versions were a hit, and it even won over a family member who normally avoids zucchini and cabbage entirely.

What You’ll Love About Beefy Minestrone Soup

• Loaded with vegetables, so it feels like a genuine meal-in-a-bowl, not just a starter.
• Freezes well, which makes doubling the batch worth the extra few minutes of prep.
• Flexible enough for a mixed household, since a portion can go non-keto with real pasta added in.

Ingredients

• Stew beef – Ground beef works as a faster substitute, though the flavor won’t run quite as deep.
• Onion, garlic, and celery – The aromatic base for the whole soup, cooked down before anything else goes in.
• Carrots – Diced, added early alongside the other aromatics.
• Canned diced tomatoes – With juice.
• Kale – Fresh, stems removed, roughly chopped.
• Tomato paste – Adds depth and body to the broth.
• Beef broth – Low sodium. If using no-salt-added broth and tomatoes, you’ll need extra salt at the end.
• Green beans, zucchini, cabbage, and bell pepper – Added later in cooking, since these turn to mush if they simmer too long.
• Italian seasoning – Standard blend, nothing specialty needed.

How to Make Beefy Minestrone Soup

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the stew beef, cut into smaller chunks, and brown in batches if needed.

Add the onion, garlic, and celery, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. While that cooks, wash the kale, remove the leaves from the stems, and roughly chop it.

Add the beef broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and kale to the pot with the beef and aromatics. Simmer, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the beef is tender.

Add the remaining vegetables and the Italian seasoning, simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Make It A Meal

For a bigger soup-and-side spread, pair this with Smoked Sausage Chowder or Beef Pot Roast Soup on a different night. A Greek Salad on the side is an easy way to round this out into a full meal.

Storage

Chill the soup overnight in the fridge, then portion into freezer-safe containers, dated, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the stovetop, or in the microwave in 1-minute intervals. Refrigerated leftovers keep for up to 4 days.

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4.67 from 18 votes

Keto-Friendly Beefy Minestrone Soup

Thick, chunky, and layered with flavor, this keto-friendly Beefy Minestrone soup is so good, so healthy, and so tasty it'll be a favorite. It freezes great, too!

Course Soups & Stews

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword hearty keto soup recipe, keto beef soup, keto beefy minestrone soup, keto vegetable soup, low-carb minestrone

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Chef Jenn

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound stew beef
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic smashed and chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots diced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 2 cups kale chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 cup green beans snipped and cut
• 1 cup zucchini diced
• 1 cup cabbage shredded
• 1 cup bell pepper diced
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a heavy bottom pot and turn the heat on to medium-high. Add the stewing beef that’s been cut into smaller chunks, and brown in batches if necessary.
• Add the onion, garlic, and celery and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
• While this is cooking, prepare the kale. Wash it thoroughly and remove the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop it.
• Put the low-sodium beef broth, a whole 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and kale into the pot with the beef, onions, and carrots.
• Simmer over low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the beef is tender.
• Add the remaining veggies and your favorite Italian seasoning blend, and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Season with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper, or to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and dig in!

Video

Notes

Recipe Card Tips

• Add vegetables in stages by cook time. Onions, carrots, and celery need longer, while zucchini, bell pepper, and cabbage turn to mush if they go in too early.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot rather than a thin, lightweight one. A cheap pot scorches easily once this starts to thicken.
• Double the batch and freeze half. This soup holds up well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• If you use no-salt added broth and diced tomatoes to this keto-friendly Beefy Minestrone Soup, you’ll need to add a bit more salt. Taste the soup and adjust the salt to your preference.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 898mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2835IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg | Net Carbohydrates: 7g

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Like This? Also Try:

• Smoked Sausage Chowder
• Beef Pot Roast Soup
• Shrimp Chowder with Chipotle
• and don’t forget to check out my cookbook page!