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The best vegetable beef soup is aromatic, robust, and beautifully seasoned with herbs and spices like garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. The tender beef and fresh veggies should work in harmony to create a simple meal that’s warm and comforting—two words that should not be confused with bland and boring. Tear off some bread to dip, and suddenly you’re in a Medieval tavern with a mug of beer having supper after a long day of traversing the kingdom on horseback. See? Decidedly not boring. 

For this second taste test, the Sporked team was hoping to find a litany of new veggie beef soup brands to recommend. While we did unearth a few hidden gems, the market for this kind of soup is, unfortunately, still pretty thin. It’s a shame, since the best beef vegetable soup is the perfect quick meal that combines a ton of hearty food groups in one bowl. Frankly, we’re guilty of overlooking this soup in our own grocery carts—but no longer, now that we know what to buy. Be the change you want to see, right? And we want to see more brands tackle the best beef vegetable soup! But our top five will do for now. 

Best Beef and Barley

If you follow the directions and combine Signature Select’s Condensed Vegetable Beef soup with a can of water, you’ll achieve a pleasantly thin broth that still packs a ton of savory beef flavor. The small beef chunks are a little sad, but the rich, veggie-forward broth and yummy barley make it some of the best vegetable beef soup we tried. It’s actually the only soup with barley that made the final ranking, so it’s safe to say this is also the best beef and barley soup of the bunch. The barley is perfectly cooked, too—not too soft or too hard, but a nice snappy texture that keeps you digging at the bottom of the bowl for more.  —Ariana Losch

Credit: Merc / Albertsons

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Stew

Campbell’s Savory Pot Roast Soup has a very specific, almost gravy-like pot roast flavor that isn’t what you would usually expect from a traditional beef and vegetable soup. In fact, I’ve found that canned pot roast soups have an extraordinary advantage over other beef and vegetable soups: the tender meat. Instead of rubbery, rehydrated beef, the meat is incredibly soft, just like any old pot roast that’s been slow-cooking for hours. Campbell’s broth is quite thick and stew-like, so if you’re into that, this is definitely the best beef vegetable soup for you. If not, well… keep reading! —Ariana Losch

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Hearty

Campbell’s Chunky beef soup is quite hearty and features thick cuts of potato, carrots, and beef. The dark broth is a little on the thick side, too—I’m guessing due to the thickening agents, like corn starch and tomato puree, listed in the ingredients. For those reasons, this is quite stew-like (must be a Campbell’s thing). It’s thick and hearty and quite filling. The vegetables are predominantly carrots and potatoes, which is a little bit bland, but, allegedly, there are some also celery, peas, and green beans in there, too. It’s not loaded with quality beef, which is a bummer, but it’s still the best vegetable beef soup if you want something that will really fill you up. Watch out for the sodium, though: There’s 1,870 mg in a can. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Traditional

I really enjoy Progresso beef and vegetable soup for what it is. It’s not this amazingly hearty soup that’s jam packed with beef, but it doesn’t need to be because the beef flavor permeates every drop. I appreciate the diversity of vegetables, too—carrots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and onion all work together to provide a robust flavor. There’s a faint garlic flavor here, too, that adds a welcome pungent punch. I love that it’s subtle and shows restraint. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Progresso’s Beef Pot Roast with Country Vegetables, like Campbell’s Savory Pot Roast Soup, has that signature pot roast gravy flavor that sets it apart from traditional beef soup. But man oh man, this little can is firing on all cylinders. The chunks of beef are so tender, they just melt in your mouth. The broth has a very balanced beef and veggie flavor complemented by the inclusion of baby pearl onions. Yes, pearl onions—a lovely touch that really makes it look and taste homemade. I may not be a knight in Medieval Europe, but I could totally eat this on a weekly basis. It’s definitely the best vegetable beef soup to date! —Ariana Losch 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Great Value Condensed, Campbell’s Condensed, Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger, Gardein, Progresso Beef Pot Roast, Amazon Fresh Pot Roast Soup, Progresso Soup Beef Pot Roast (Light), Trader Joe’s Beef Barley

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