Beef Vegetable & Dumpling Soup
This beef, vegetable, and dumpling soup is a heartwarming and delicious meal that’ll heat you up from the inside out. Loaded with tender beef, savory dumplings, and robust veggies, it’s an easy and ideal choice for a cozy dinner.
Recipe Steps
This soup is hearty and perfect for cold winter nights, with homemade beef bone broth that adds both flavor and nutrition. If you happen to have some homemade meatballs in the freezer, they make a delightful addition to this dish, but it’s delicious either way.
Before you start, I recommend gathering all your ingredients. This is known as ‘mise en place’ (pronounced meez ahn plahs), which means having all your ingredients measured, chopped, peeled, and ready before you begin cooking. It’s a practice I adopted after producing over 100 episodes of a private cooking show. It not only speeds up the cooking process but also helps in identifying missing ingredients before you’re halfway through a recipe.
Now that you have all your ingredients ready, complete your mise en place by washing and cutting the celery into 1/4″ pieces, carrots into 1/2″ pieces, and chopping the parsley. Peel the onion and cut the beef stew meat into bite-sized pieces. You’re all set to start cooking!
Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. When it reads HOT, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and heat for 20 seconds. Then sear the beef stew meat and soup bone on all sides.
Add all the main soup ingredients to the electric pressure cooker (bone broth, onion, parsley, celery, carrots, kidney beans, garlic, canned tomatoes, and fish sauce). Exclude the dumplings, meatballs, or optional ingredients for now. If you’re short on homemade beef bone broth, you can add an extra cup or two of beef broth. Refer to my Homemade Beef Bone Broth recipe for guidance on making it in the Instant Pot. Close and seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
If you want to add meatballs to the soup, mix ground beef, ground pork, eggs, and preferred spices (e.g., 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning, 2 tsp. garlic powder, salt, and pepper). Form 1 1/2″ balls and bake at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
After the soup finishes cooking, allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes. This means leaving the Instant Pot undisturbed; it’ll display an “L” and count up during this time.
While the soup naturally releases pressure, prepare the dumplings by mixing the ingredients into a sticky dough. Avoid overworking the dough.
After the 15-minute natural pressure release, the pot will read “L15.” Release any remaining pressure, open the lid, and taste the soup broth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary (about 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base for me).
Drop tablespoonfuls of dumpling dough into the soup broth, cover, and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Follow this with another 15-minute natural pressure release.
If you plan to add noodles to the soup, cook them separately on the stove and add them once the pot is opened. Cooking them with the dumplings can cause them to overcook and fall apart.
If you need to make meatballs, combine ground beef, ground pork, 2 eggs, and your choice of spices (e.g., 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning, 2 tsp. garlic powder, salt, and pepper). Shape them into 1 1/2″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
When the cooking is complete, open the pot and transfer the dumplings to a separate bowl. Stirring the soup with dumplings inside may cause them to break apart. If adding noodles, mix them into the soup. Remove the beef bone and bay leaves.
Serve the soup and meatballs in a bowl, topping each serving with a dumpling, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Beef Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- 1 6 Qt. Instant Pot
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 lg. Beef Soup Bone
- 1-2 lb. Beef Stew Meat Cut into pieces
- 4 C Homemade Beef Bone Broth
- 1 lg. Yellow Onion Peeled and whole
- 1 bunch Italian Parsley Chopped
- 6 stalks Celery
- 5 Carrots Sliced
- 2 cans Red Kidney Beans Drained & rinsed
- 6 cloves Garlic Minced
- 28 oz. Can Italian Seasoned Tomatoes
- 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
Dumplings
- 2 C All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
- ¾ C Warm Milk
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
Meatballs
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 lb. Ground Pork
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Optional
- 8-10 Homemade Meatballs
- ½ Bag Egg Noodles
- 2 C Water or Beef Stock if needed
- 1-2 Tbsp. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base if needed
Instructions
- Wash and cut the celery into ¼" pieces and the carrots into ½" pieces, and chop the parsley. Peel the onion, and cut the beef stew meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Press Saute on the electric pressure cooker. When it reads HOT, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and let heat for 20 seconds. Then add the beef stew meat and soup bone and sear on all sides.
- Put all of the main soup ingredients into the pot of the electric pressure cooker (do not put the dumpling, meatball, or optional ingredients in yet) - Beef soup bone, beef stew meat, beef bone broth, yellow onion, italian parsley, celery, carrots, red kidney beans, garlic, canned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and fish sauce. If you don't have enough homemade beef bone broth for the soup, add another cup or two of beef broth. See our recipe on making Homemade Beef Bone Broth if you want to learn how to easily make it using the Instant Pot. Close and seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- After the soup finishes cooking, leave it for a natural pressure release for 15 minutes.
- While the soup is doing a natural pressure release, make the dumpling dough by mixing 2 C flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 3/4 warm milk, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. melted butter together to make a sticky dough. Don't overwork the dough.
- After the 15-minute natural pressure release, release any remaining pressure and open the lid. Taste the soup broth and add Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base 1 tsp. at a time if needed, tasting as you go.
- Next drop tablespoons full of dumpling dough into the soup broth. Once all the dough has been dropped into the soup, cover, and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes and then allow another 15-minute natural pressure release.
- While the dumplings are cooking if planning to add any egg noodles to the soup, cook the desired noodles in a separate pot on the stove as directed. Then add to the soup once the pot is opened. I have found adding them to the Instant Pot and cooking them with the dumplings they got overcooked and were falling apart.
- If you don't have any meatballs already made and want to make them for the soup, mix up the ground beef, ground, pork, 2 large eggs, and whatever spices you prefer in your meatballs. I like to use 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning, 2 tsp. garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Form them into 1 ½" balls and line them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400℉ for 17-20 minutes turning them over halfway through cooking.
- Open the pot and remove the dumplings to a separate bowl. Stirring the soup with the dumplings inside may cause them to break up and disintegrate into the soup. Add the noodles if doing so, and give the soup a stir. Remove the beef bone and bay leaves.
- Serve soup and meatballs in a bowl, top with a dumpling, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Victoria Cook
Hi! I’m Victoria, a home cook turned host and cook for 100+ episodes of a private cooking show. My love for ethnic cuisines inspires me to use a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to make flavorful healthyish meals for my husband and son. I enjoy challenging myself with new recipes and am happiest when I can make them in an electric pressure cooker.