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Beef Noodle Soup

This cozy Beef Noodle Soup recipe is stove top and slow cooker friendly. It has hearty bites of seasoned beef, vegetables, a savory broth, and delicious egg noodles. The seasonings in this soup are perfect and leftovers make a great freezer meal!

Be sure to try my Slow Cooker Beef Stew and my Steak Bites recipes next!

A soup pot filled with Beef Noodle Soup with mushrooms, carrots, noodles, and beef.

Beef Noodle Soup

I can’t think of anything more cozy than a nice warm bowl of this Beef Noodle Soup. The techniques used in this recipe ensure the most flavorful and tender beef, rich and savory broth, and endless vegetable combination options. 

You can use a variety of different cuts of beef, and it’s definitely a good candidate for the slow cooker as well as the stove top. 

Be sure to check out all of my PRO tips and information below, this soup is a labor of love, but very much worth it- you’ll know it once you taste it!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. See notes section of the recipe card for the Crock Pot Method.

Heat olive oil and sauté the mushrooms in batches until golden on each side. Set aside.

Season and sear the meat on each side until just browned on the outside, leave the middle red and cold. Transfer to a plate.

A plate of sauteed mushrooms next to a plate of seared beef.

Deglaze the skillet with wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the butter, onions, carrots, and celery and soften for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and soup seasonings. Add the beef and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the meat and simmer for 1 hour.

Making Beef Noodle Soup in a soup pot with vegetables and beef.

Add the peas while you cook the noodles separately. (See section below as to why that’s done separately.) Add the mushrooms back to the soup. To serve, add the cooked noodles to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. (If you don’t anticipate leftovers, you can add the cooked noodles to the pot of soup.)

A pot of cooked egg noodles next to a soup pot of Beef Noodle Soup.

Cooking the Noodles Separately

Although it’s convenient to cook the noodles right in the soup, there are 3 reasons why I recommend boiling them separately and adding them directly to serving bowls:

  • Boiling the soup to cook the noodles will cause the meat to become tough and chewy instead of tender. Alternatively, cooking the noodles slowly in the soup can make them gummy.
  • Noodles absorb a lot of broth during storage, (and while they cook), so it’s best to store the soup and the noodles separately. To serve, add the noodles directly to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top.
  •  Cooking the noodles in the soup also makes the broth starchier.
  • I use Riesa Wavy Egg Noodles for this recipe. 
  •  Feel free to butter the noodles when they’re done cooking to prevent them from sticking together. You can then refrigerate leftover noodles in an airtight container.

*If you’ve reviewed the info above and still prefer to cook the noodles in the soup, feel free to do so. You may want to use an extra cup of broth to account for what will be absorbed during cooking.

Best Cuts of Meat to Use

  • Sirloin and Tenderloin Roasts are pricier but more tender, which requires less cooking time to render down than tougher cuts of meat. (Ideal for stove top cooking.)
  • Chuck Roast, Rump Roast, and Bottom Rounds are more economical cuts that render down nicely if cooked using the slow cooker method. The best option is Chuck, then Rump, then Bottom Round. 
  • You may also have the option to buy packaged stew meat that’s already cubed. While this also will work, I prefer to purchase it whole so that I can choose the cut I want. Stew meat isn’t always clearly labeled as to what cut it’s from. (But it’s almost always a tougher cut that requires slow cooking.)

Pro Tips

  • Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are the best wines to use for deglazing the skillet in this recipe. An equal amount of beef broth + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Broth: A little chicken broth is used in this recipe along with the beef broth as the contrast adds a nice depth of flavor. All beef broth may be used if preferred.
  • Mushrooms: I use white button mushrooms that are already sliced/washed as it’s a nice time saver. Cooking the mushrooms first and adding them to the soup at the end is the best way to preserve their color, flavor, and texture. If they’re cooked in the soup, they can become waterlogged and rubbery. This ingredient can be skipped for non-mushroom lovers, there are still plenty of other vegetables to make this complete.
  • Tenderizing the Meat: If you purchased your meat whole (as opposed to cubed stew meat), I recommend covering it with plastic wrap and tenderizing each side with a meat mallet for extra tender results! 
  • Cooking the Meat: The beef is seasoned and sauteed to create a textured outer crust. This also adds “fond” (flavor) to the pan, which is deglazed with wine to make the soup more flavorful. The beef is then cooked low and slow which ensures it’s nice and tender.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • This soup freezes well, and freezes best without the noodles. If freezing with noodles, be sure to set a timer to avoid overcooking them so that they aren’t mushy when reheated.

A white bowl of beef noodle soup with parsley on top.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– This is the one pictured in this recipe.
  • Meat Tenderizer– I cut the meat myself instead of purchasing cubed stew meat. This allows me to choose the cut, and to tenderize each side before cubing for more tender results.
  • Chef Knife– I have this one, it works well for cutting meat.
  • Kitchen Tongs– Easy to handle/flip the meat while browning.
  • Slow Cooker– This one has a browning/sauté function so that you can sear the meat right in the pot before slow cooking. (It also functions as an Instant Pot.)
  • Better Than Bouillon– I use this for my recipes as it’s easy to measure out customized amounts of broth and takes up very little storage space in the fridge. One jar lasts a long time!
  • 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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Beef Noodle Soup in a blue dutch oven.

Beef Noodle Soup

5 from 17 ratings
This Beef Noodle Soup is easy to make on the stove top or in the slow cooker! It has hearty bites of seasoned beef, vegetables, a savory broth, and delicious egg noodles.

Ingredients

Soup

  • 12 oz. mushrooms, sliced/rinsed/dried
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 lbs. stew meat, see blog post for best cuts to use
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ cup dry red wine, see notes
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • ¾ cup carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 7 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth, or more beef broth, see notes
  • ¾ cup Frozen peas
  • 2 cups egg noodles, uncooked. (About 4 oz.)
  • Parsley, to garnish

Meat Seasoning

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Soup Seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

  • Note: See notes section below for Slow Cooker instructions
  • Combine each set of seasonings and measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.

Sauté the Mushrooms

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Sauté on each side for 3-4 minutes. Add a splash more of olive oil during cooking if needed and sprinkle with a little salt halfway through if desired. Set aside once cooked.

Prepare the Beef

  • Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discard any large pieces of fat. Fat marbleized into the meat is fine. Sprinkle with meat seasonings. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with flour and toss again.
  • Heat 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. Brown on each side for 45 seconds. Add more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate. The middle should still be red/cold.

Make the Soup

  • Add the wine to the soup pot and set heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pan. Let it reduce by half, 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the butter, onions, carrots, and celery and soften for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and soup seasonings and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Add the seared beef along with any juices from the plate. Cover partially and let it bubble very gently over medium heat for 1 hour. This will cook the meat slowly, keeping it tender. It will also concentrate the broth. Stir it occasionally as it cooks and decrease heat if it starts to boil.
  • Add the frozen peas while you boil the egg noodles in a separate pot of salted water according to package instructions. (See section in blog post above as to why I do this separately instead of in the soup.) Drain once cooked.
  • Add the cooked mushrooms and discard the bay leaf.
  • Add the cooked noodles to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are the best wines to use for deglazing the skillet in this recipe. An equal amount of beef broth + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar can be used if you don’t cook with wine. (I've also used dry white wine.)
  • Broth: A little chicken broth is used in this recipe along with the beef broth as the contrast adds a nice depth of flavor. All beef broth may be used if preferred.
  • Mushrooms: I use white button mushrooms that are already sliced/washed as it's a nice time saver. Cooking the mushrooms first and adding them to the soup at the end is the best way to preserve their color, flavor, and texture. If they're cooked in the soup, they can become waterlogged and rubbery. This ingredient can be skipped for non-mushroom lovers, but mushrooms add umami! 
  • Tenderizing the Meat: If you purchased your meat whole (as opposed to cubed stew meat), I recommend tenderizing each side with a meat mallet for extra tender results! 
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • This soup freezes well, and freezes best without the noodles. If freezing with noodles, be sure to set a timer to avoid overcooking them so that they aren't mushy when reheated.

Slow Cooker Instructions
  • Complete the steps in the “prepare the beef” section. (Some crock pots have browning/searing functions that allow you to do this right in the crock pot!)
  • Deglaze the pot with wine and soften the onions, carrots, and celery as outlined above. Transfer to the slow cooker if not already in one. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, soup seasonings, broth, and seared beef, along with any juices from the plate. (These steps can be day 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)
  • Cook on low for 7 ½ to 8 hours or high for 3½ to 4 hours.
  • Add the peas and cover while you sauté the mushrooms and boil the noodles.
  • Add the cooked mushrooms to the soup and add the cooked noodles to serving bowls. Ladle the soup on top and serve!

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 8 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 1432mg, Potassium: 781mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2132IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 4mg
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42 comments on “Beef Noodle Soup”

  1. Hi! Can you add frozen steamed green beans to the soup? If so, what is the best way and time to do that? I really love how you developed this recipe and thanks for the advice on the noodles. I used my crock pot, btw. 
    Pam

    • Hi Pam! Frozen steamed green beans would be a wonderful addition, you can add them at the same time as the peas! 🙂 I’m so glad that you love the recipe, thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie

  2.  I have an abundance of cube steak, I know good problem, what recipes could I use other than cube steak and gravy and chicken fried?

  3. Forgot to comment on this until I pulled leftovers from the freezer and it reminded me how fantastic this recipe is. Wow, I loved everything about this soup. I used sirloin and it worked out wonderfully. As always loved the pro tips. I put just a taste of the better than products, both chicken and beef, in as well. Oh man it was so delicious.

    • Hi Steve!! I’m so glad that you decided to come back and leave a review, you made my day! I absolutely love this soup too, it’s one of my favorite things to pull from the freezer. It makes such a great last minute lunch! Thank you so much again!

  4. This soup was one of the best soups I have ever made. The flavors were incredible.

  5. WOW! This soup was sooooo flavourful, and it made my whole house smell amazing while it simmered away on the stove. I’ve never had a beef barley/veggie/noodle soup that I liked, but this one is a winner! I used baby bella and white mushrooms, top sirloin steak, and a Cab Sauv-Merlot blend. After I tenderized the steaks (thank you for that pro tip!), I rubbed the meat seasonings into both sides before cubing. Also, thank you for suggesting to sauté the mushrooms first and to cook the egg noodles separately – what great tips!!! I’ll definitely make this soup again, and I think next time, I’ll try your slow cooker method. Thanks again 🙂

    • Hi Jaime! I am so happy that you loved this soup and that you appreciated (and used!) the pro tips!! You make me LOVE what I do, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and for the review, you’re the BEST! -Stephanie

  6. Any recommendations on how to adapt this for the instant pot? This looks delicious! 

  7. I made this tonight with few little modifications. Your recipe is a great guide for Vegetable Beef Soup/Stew. I used fresh veggies and chopped them all, added a can of peas. Loved cooking the noodles separately and adding the butter. Dinner was delicious and we both appreciate your expertise in preparing the soup. The tips were so helpful!

  8. Made this tonight and we absolutely loved it. Made it from fresh ingredients and the tips were followed. Noodles were perfect being cooked and coated with some butter. Stored leftovers separately, soup in a container and noodles in a ziplock. Looking forward to eating it again in a day or two. Thank you for sharing your recipes!

  9. Awesome soup follow the recipe always crockpot stove top and instant pot never fails 

  10. I made this soup for my family. It was a huge hit! I love all your tips. I used stew beef and it was flavorful and tender. Cooking the noodles separately was a game changer. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes and tips. 

    • Hi Stacey! I am soooo happy that you loved the soup!!! I actually had this for lunch yesterday from the freezer, my own Instagram post tempted me! 😉 I’m so glad you liked the tip about cooking the noodles separately, I agree- a game changer! hank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!!! -Stephanie

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