On cold days, nothing satisfies quite like a hearty bowl of soup. For those following a low-carb lifestyle, traditional soups loaded with potatoes and grains can be a challenge. However, with a few clever substitutions and flavorful ingredients, you can enjoy a comforting and delicious steak soup that fits perfectly into your ketogenic, Atkins, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, or Banting diet. This article explores several variations of keto steak soup recipes, from slow-cooker vegetable beef soup to creamy steak and mushroom soup, and even a Tuscan-inspired beef and vegetable soup.
Low-Carb Slow-Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup
This recipe is perfect for busy individuals who desire a hearty and filling meal with minimal effort. The slow-cooker does all the work, allowing you to come home to a flavorful and satisfying dinner.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1" cubes, patted dry
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 32 ounces beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small celeriac (about 6 ounces), diced
- 1/4 cup carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste, especially if using regular broth)
Instructions:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, reserving about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet. Cover bacon and refrigerate for later.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef cubes in batches, ensuring they don't touch. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown each side of the beef cubes but do not cook throughout. Transfer browned beef to the slow-cooker crock using a slotted spoon. Repeat for the rest of the meat.
- Once all the beef is browned and in the slow-cooker, reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add red wine vinegar to the skillet, stirring and scraping up any browned bits until the vinegar has thickened. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the beef broth and continue to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer the liquid to the slow-cooker.
- Add the remaining beef broth, onion, green beans, celeriac, carrots, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt (if using low-salt broth), and pepper to the slow-cooker. Stir gently to combine.
- Cover the slow-cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Top with the reserved bacon.
The celeriac serves as a low-carb substitute for potatoes, while the bacon adds richness and smokiness to the broth. Serve with a side salad and low-carb biscuits or cornbread for a complete meal.
Instant Pot Fajita Steak Soup
For a quick and flavorful Mexican-inspired soup, the Instant Pot Fajita Steak Soup is an excellent choice. This recipe is packed with protein and nutritious veggies and can be easily customized to your liking.
Ingredients:
- Steak (trimmed of excess fat), such as sirloin or flank steak
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Bell peppers (various colors), sliced
- Diced tomatoes
- Beef broth
- Rice or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option)
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Season steak with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on the "sauté" setting. Brown the meat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the size. Remove from the Instant Pot and let the steak rest for 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic to the Instant Pot (adding 1-2 teaspoons oil, if needed) and sauté until fragrant.
- Place the meat back in the Instant Pot with the remaining ingredients: broth, diced tomatoes, rice (or cauliflower rice), chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Mix until combined.
- Select MANUAL mode and set the pressure to HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release manually (carefully) allowing the steam to escape.
For a stovetop version, sear the steak in a large stock pot, then remove and let rest. Sauté the garlic and onion, then add the bell peppers. Add the sliced steak, tomatoes, spices, rice (or cauliflower rice), and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium-low for about 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
To keep this soup low-carb, use two cups of cauliflower rice (1 small head of grated cauliflower) instead of rice. Bake the cauliflower rice at 400 degrees for 15 minutes before adding it to the soup for a crispier texture.
Creamy Steak and Mushroom Soup
This rich and satisfying soup is ready in about 30 minutes and requires no thickener, making it a perfect low-carb option.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Sirloin steak (or round steak)
- Yellow onion, chopped
- Mushrooms (white or cremini, or a mixture), sliced
- Vegetable broth (or beef broth)
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Lemon juice
- Fresh dill
- Garlic powder
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Season the steak with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper on all sides. Add the steak to the pot, searing for 2-3 minutes on each side. (Do not cook steak through! It should be rare on the inside.) Remove from the pot and set aside to rest.
- Add the remaining butter to the pot. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and mushrooms and saute for 10 minutes.Add the smoked paprika and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the broth, fresh dill, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and the remaining salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup is simmering, cut the steak in bite-sized pieces. Once the soup is done simmering, add the steak to the pot.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, sour cream, and lemon juice.
Serve garnished with fresh parsley. This soup pairs well with low-carb Red Lobster biscuits or garlic bread chaffles.
Beef Stroganoff Soup
Adapted from the classic Russian stew, this soup replaces traditional pasta with zucchini noodles for a low-carb twist.
Ingredients:
- 2 large beef rump (sirloin) steaks (800 g/ 1.76 lb)
- 600 g brown or white mushrooms (1.3 lb)
- 1/4 cup ghee or lard (55 g/ 1.9 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium white or brown onion, chopped (110 g/ 3.9 oz)
- 5 cups bone broth or chicken stock or vegetable stock (1.2 l/ quart)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Juice from 1 lemon (~ 4 tbsp)
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream, heavy whipping cream or coconut cream (345 g/ 12.2 oz)
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Place the steaks in the freezer in a single layer for 30-45 minutes. This will make it easy to slice the steaks into thin strips. Meanwhile, clean and slice the mushrooms.
- When the steaks are ready, use a sharp knife and slice them as thin as you can.
- Grease a large heavy bottom pan with half of the ghee. Once hot, add the beef slices in a single layer - do not overcrowd the pan. Quickly fry over a medium-high heat until browned from all sides. Remove the slices from the pan and place in a bowl. Set aside for later.
- Grease the pan with the remaining ghee. Place the chopped onion and minced garlic in the pan and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Dijon mustard, paprika, and pour in the bone broth. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the browned beef slices and sour cream. If using a thickener, add to the pot and stir well.
- Finally, add freshly chopped parsley.
Steak and Cauliflower Soup
This recipe replaces potatoes with cauliflower in a creamy white cheddar broth for a gluten-free and low-carb alternative to traditional steak and potato soup.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Tender cut of beef, such as sirloin
- Salt and pepper
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
- Beef broth
- White cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions:
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until just done through - about 7-8 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook until softened.
- Add the cauliflower and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in the shredded white cheddar cheese until melted and smooth.
- Return the beef to the pot and heat through.
Keto Tuscan Soup
Inspired by Tuscan flavors, this soup features ground beef, diced tomatoes, kale, and zucchini in a savory broth.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Grass-fed ground beef
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
- Red pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Beef broth
- Dried oregano
- Fresh parsley
- Zucchini, diced
- Kale, chopped
- Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
- Lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so but be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the grass-fed ground beef to the onions and garlic and use your spoon to break it apart into bite-sized chunks. Add the ground cayenne, paprika, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and a generous amount of salt and pepper (at least 1 teaspoon of each). These seasonings are to spice the meat (hold the parsley and oregano until later). Cook until the ground beef is browned (4-5 minutes).
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth. Add the chopped parsley and dried oregano to the soup, stir it well and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add the diced zucchini and let it cook for about 3 minutes before adding in the chopped kale. Stir well, mixing in the kale until it's slightly wilted. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the grated parmesan and taste. Add more salt and pepper as needed (I did a generous amount here), more red pepper flakes for extra heat, and/or more parmesan if you'd like.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls and squeeze the juice of a lemon wedge over each serving (optional).
General Tips for Keto Steak Soup
- Choose the right cut of steak: Tender cuts like sirloin, flank steak, or stew meat work best in soups.
- Don't overcook the steak: Sear the steak before adding it to the soup to develop flavor, but avoid cooking it all the way through, as it will continue to cook in the soup.
- Use low-carb vegetables: Opt for vegetables like celeriac, cauliflower, zucchini, kale, and bell peppers to keep the carb count low.
- Control the salt: Use low-sodium broth and adjust the salt to taste, as some broths can be quite salty.
- Add healthy fats: Incorporate ingredients like bacon, olive oil, heavy cream, and sour cream to increase the fat content and enhance the flavor.
- Customize the spices: Adjust the spices to your liking, experimenting with different combinations to create your perfect flavor profile.
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