Here’s a twist on the classic crock pot beef vegetable soup! We decided to toss in some bacon and kielbasa chunks to add some amazingly delicious flavors :)

There’s nothing quite as delicious as soups and stews in the winter. Sure, soups a great staple any time of the year.

BUT when it’s just plain nasty outside…like it’s been for a couple weeks here…you appreciate a bowl of warm, delicious soup coming out of the crockpot in the evenings. And btw, this one’s kiddo approved too!

I don’t know if it’s the same around your house or not. But it works well here. So ’til it warms up a bit, soups on the menu :)

Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Soup with Bacon & Kielbasa

Dietary Adaptations for Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Soup

Low Carb & Keto Adjustments

Going low carb doesn’t mean you can ‘t have the deliciousness of crock pot beef vegetable soup. OR that you have to give up the convenience of your slow cooker either. It can actually be your best friend when it comes to sticking with your diet.

But how? It’s got potatoes, right? Substitute. Just sub in cauliflower OR white sweet potatoes OR heck, regular sweet potatoes… for the regular potatoes. You’ll get the same basic flavor and save on your carbs too.

Low Glycemic & Diabetic Adjustments

Low-scale glycemic eaters, same goes for you guys as for the low carbers. I am not diabetic thankfully, but my mother-in-law is. As is my step-father. So I am trying to lower the glycemic index in our meals. And regular sweet potatoes work well for that. BUT I run into an issue.

My hubby doesn’t care for sweet potatoes too much. He’ll eat them, but he doesn’t enjoy them. And honestly…there’s too much to life that’s a chore. Food shouldn’t be one of them, I don’t think.

So I found white sweet potatoes. It was by accident really. I was shopping for herb plants last Spring and found them. They came from Bob’s Market & Greenhouse. They are in OH and WV. But I’m pretty sure I saw some at Krogers a few weeks ago too! So maybe they are becoming more “the thing”.

So anyway, I figured why not try them. Right? So I peeled, sliced and fried them in half coconut oil and half butter…yeah, we’re doing the low carb thing…it a semi-sorta sort of way. And then I added a LOT of garlic powder and Himalayan salt. This is a recipe from my daughter, they are Paleo. So I guess this recipe works for Paleo too!

Now back to the results…Guess what? Hubby ate them. And he had NO idea he was eating sweet potatoes! So there’s an EPIC SCORE :) And NOW they are being added to our soups and stews instead of Russet. I love loves me some crock pot soups in the Winter :)

Sorry for the side trip…but it was exciting for me. Foodie nerd that I am. That’s alright, I’m cool with that. Now on to the recipe…

Printable Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe

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Crock Pot Kielbasa Bacon Beef Vegetable Soup

Prep Time

12 mins

Cook Time

8 hrs

Total Time

8 hrs 12 mins

 

Here's a delicious twist on the traditional crock pot beef vegetable soup :) We've added bacon and kielbasa to jazz it up a bit.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Crock Pot

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups beef stock or broth
• 1-2 cups vegetable or tomato juice
• 1 14.5 ounces can tomato sauce
• 5 small potatoes sized into chunks
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
• 12-16 ounces kielbasa sliced
• 1 package bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Himalayan Salt to taste
• Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Lightly grease, oil or butter the slow cooker insert.
2. Place the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot, top with the meats, and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasonings.
3. Pour 1 cup each of the beef stock and vegetable/tomato juice over the top.
4. Cover and cook on low 8 hours; high 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
5. About 20 minutes before serving:
6. Stir the soup and add as much of the remaining beef stock and vegetable juice as you like to reach the consistency you prefer.
7. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

Freezer Meal Prep:

1. Place add the ingredients in a large, labeled freezer bag. Lay flat and freeze up to 3 months.
2. Note: If you're low on freezer space you can opt to add the juices, tomatoes, and beef stock when cooking. If you go this route, I wouldn't freeze the potatoes. They don't seem to do as well if they aren't frozen with a lot of liquid.

Recipe Notes

Dietary Adjustments: Diabetic, low glycemic index eaters, low carb & keto eaters AND Paleo dieters can benefit by substituting purple, orange or white sweet potatoes for the Russet potatoes in this recipe. Cauliflower is also a viable option. I personally prefer white sweet potatoes, but it's your choice of course.

Serving Suggestions: Top with more bacon, diced parsley or sour cream to serve.

Pinnable for Jazzed Up Beef Vegetable Soup