Beef soup

Beef soup is a rich winter soup of beef cubes and marrow bones simmered slowly with onion, tomato paste and paprika, followed by carrot, celery, potato and zucchini. The beef turns tender enough to cut with a spoon, and the broth comes out dark and full.

Pot calculatorOrder Beef soup

Gluten freeDairy freeMeatAllergens:Celery

Updated

Beef soupIllustration
Time3 h 35 minCook 3 h
Pot8 bowls3.6 litres
Per bowl338 kcal26.3 g protein · a 450 ml bowl
Cost of the pot₪98for the pot, about ₪12 a bowl

The story of Beef soup

In Israeli and Ashkenazi homes, beef soup is a pot for winter and for Shabbat: chunks of beef and marrow bones bubbling for half a day, with vegetables going in towards the end. Some homes cooked a clear version with no tomato and whole root vegetables, while others preferred the brown one with tomato paste and paprika, which became the best known in home kitchens.

Israeli beef soup does not belong to one community. It takes slowly simmered beef, whatever vegetables are in the fridge and a little paste and paprika, and leaves room for every home. Next to it, each community has a beef soup of its own: Yemenites with hawaij, Hungarians with goulash, Georgians with kharcho, and a beef and bean soup that survives in many families as the soup of the old days.

What makes Beef soup itself

A good beef soup rests on three things: a cut rich in connective tissue, proper browning at the start, and a long, gentle simmer. Beef chuck is full of collagen that turns into gelatine after two hours, so the meat softens instead of drying out. The browning and the fried tomato paste give the broth its brown colour and depth, and the marrow bones add a rich fat that melts into the soup. The vegetables go in only for the last hour so they stay vegetables, not mush.

Beef soup for any number of people

Change the number of people and the bowl size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per bowl.

Bowl size
Units
3.6litres in the pot
5Pot to use, litres
₪98Cost of the pot
₪12per bowl
338kcal per bowl
26.3g protein per bowl
IngredientAmountCost
The beef
Canola oil30 ml₪0.5
Beef chuck, in 4 cm cubes900 g₪58
Marrow bones400 g · 3 pcs₪18
Water3 l
Bay leaves1 g · 2 pcs₪0.4
Allspice berries1 g · 4 pcs₪0.2
The base
Large onion, chopped250 g · 1 pcs₪1.5
Garlic cloves, chopped15 g · 5 pcs₪0.5
Tomato paste40 g₪1.4
Sweet paprika5 g₪0.4
The vegetables
Carrots, in thick slices300 g · 3 pcs₪1.5
Celery root, cubed200 g₪3.0
Celery stalks, sliced150 g · 3 pcs₪3.0
Potatoes, in large cubes600 g · 4 pcs₪3.5
Zucchini, in thick slices300 g · 2 pcs₪3.9
Seasoning
Salt18 g₪0.0
Black pepper2 g₪0.3
Parsley, chopped30 g₪1.5
Send on WhatsApp

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Beef soup? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Beef soup has 75 calories per 100 ml. A 450 ml bowl made with our recipe has 338 calories: 26.3 g protein, 14.5 g fat and 24.5 g carbohydrates. A 250 ml cup has 188 calories.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 30 ml30 kcal per serving
  • 900 g120 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs68 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs0 kcal per serving
  • 4 pcs0 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs13 kcal per serving
  • 5 pcs3 kcal per serving
  • 40 g7 kcal per serving
  • 5 g2 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs15 kcal per serving
  • 200 g11 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs3 kcal per serving
  • 4 pcs58 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs6 kcal per serving
  • 18 g0 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 30 g1 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Beef soup

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
A tablespoon of oil122013.8
A slice of white bread792.50.5
A slice of challah12641.1
A side cup of cooked rice, about1823.50.3

How to make Beef soup

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper. In an 8 litre pot, heat the oil over high heat and brown the beef in two batches, 5 minutes each, until brown on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
  2. Lower to medium heat and fry the onion in the remaining fat for 6 minutes, scraping the brown crust off the bottom. Add the garlic and stir for a minute.
  3. Add the tomato paste and paprika and fry for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells sweet.
  4. Return the beef, add the marrow bones, water, bay leaves and allspice and bring to a boil. Skim, lower to a very gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for two hours.
  5. Add the carrots, celery root and celery stalks and cook for 15 minutes.
  6. Add the potatoes and salt and cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Add the zucchini and cook for another 15 minutes, until the beef cuts with a spoon and the vegetables are tender.
  8. Remove the bay leaves and bones, scooping the marrow into the soup if you like. Add the parsley and black pepper, taste and correct the salt.
  9. Turn off the heat, rest for 10 minutes and skim the fat from the surface before serving.

The science of Beef soup

Kitchen science

Why brown the beef first

Above 140 degrees, amino acids and sugars on the surface of the meat react with each other in the Maillard reaction, creating hundreds of flavour compounds and a brown colour. Wet meat or a crowded pot never reaches that temperature because the water evaporates and cools it. The brown crust stuck to the bottom later dissolves into the onion and water, and that is much of the broth's flavour.

Kitchen science

Collagen, gelatine and time

Beef chuck and shank are rich in collagen, the protein of connective tissue. At 80 to 90 degrees over two hours or more, collagen unwinds into gelatine and the fibres separate. At a hard boil, the muscle fibres contract and squeeze out their juices, so the meat ends up dry and stringy even when it is soft.

Kitchen science

Why fry the tomato paste

Tomato paste contains sugars and amino acids, and two minutes of frying in oil darkens it and takes away its sharp, tinny taste. Lycopene, the red pigment of tomato, dissolves in fat, which is why fried paste tints the whole soup an even reddish brown.

Kitchen science

Why the potatoes go in late

Potatoes hold their shape thanks to pectin in their cell walls, while the starch inside swells and breaks them apart over long cooking. Thirty to 45 minutes is enough to make them tender, and the mild acid of the paste slows the breakdown. After two hours in the pot they fall apart and cloud the soup.

Beef soup in every kitchen

With beans

300 g of soaked white beans go in with the beef from the start, with an extra spoonful of tomato paste. Beef and bean soup comes out thick and reddish, almost a stew.

Clear Ashkenazi

No browning and no paste: brisket or shank and bones in cold water, patient skimming, and whole root vegetables such as carrot, parsley root and celery root. Strain and serve clear, with noodles or kreplach.

With meatballs

Small meatballs of ground beef, grated onion and parsley go into the soup for the last 20 minutes. Quicker, and children love it.

With barley

100 g of rinsed pearl barley goes in with the carrot and celery. The barley thickens the soup and turns it into a meal.

Yemenite

Hawaij for soup instead of the paste and paprika, plenty of potatoes and coriander at the end. A yellow, fragrant soup that has a page of its own.

Pressure cooker

After browning, cook the beef and bones for 45 minutes under pressure. Open, add the vegetables and simmer for 25 minutes with the lid off.

Common Beef soup problems and how to fix them

The beef in my soup is tough

It has not cooked long enough, or a lean cut meant for quick grilling was used. Keep simmering gently for another 30 to 45 minutes. Next time, choose chuck, shank or rib, cuts with connective tissue.

The beef is tender but dry and stringy

The soup boiled too hard. Cook over the lowest heat, with small bubbles rising slowly, and keep the lid only partly on.

The beef soup is too fatty

Marrow bones and beef release a lot of fat. Skim with a wide spoon after resting, or chill overnight and lift off the layer that sets.

The soup has no depth

The beef was not browned, or there is too much water. Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered to concentrate it. Next time, brown well and fry the paste until it darkens.

The potatoes fell apart

They went in too early or were cut too small. Cut large cubes and add them 30 minutes before the end. Waxy potatoes hold up better than floury ones.

Storing, freezing and reheating

4 days

In the fridge

3 months

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

Reheat over medium heat to a gentle simmer. The soup sets slightly in the fridge from the gelatine, which is a good sign. Potatoes turn grainy after freezing, so add fresh ones when reheating.

Nutrition of Beef soup

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 450 ml bowl33826.314.524.55.1
Our recipe, 100 ml755.83.25.51.1
Typical Beef soup, 100 g887.21.68.42.3
Typical Beef soup, 100 g (2)626.92.33.50.6
Typical Beef soup, 100 g (3)71.10.20.00.0

What the ingredients of Beef soup cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Beef chuck, in 4 cm cubes₪65 per kg₪58Butcher
Marrow bones₪46 per kg₪18Butcher
Zucchini, in thick slices₪13 per kg₪3.9Greengrocer
Potatoes, in large cubes₪5.9 per kg₪3.5Greengrocer
Celery root, cubed₪15 per kg₪3Greengrocer
Celery stalks, sliced₪6.9 each₪3Greengrocer
Large onion, chopped₪5.9 per kg₪1.5Greengrocer
Carrots, in thick slices₪4.9 per kg₪1.5Greengrocer
Parsley, chopped₪4.9 each₪1.5Greengrocer
Tomato paste₪35 per kg₪1.4Supermarket
Garlic cloves, chopped₪34 per kg₪0.5Greengrocer
Canola oil₪15 per litre₪0.4Supermarket
Sweet paprika₪86 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Bay leaves₪360 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Allspice berries₪160 per kg₪0.2Spice shop
Salt₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Make Beef soup a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Beef soup

Serve in deep bowls with plenty of vegetables and beef in each, alongside country bread or challah. Anyone who likes heat can add chopped chilli or a spoonful of zhug.

Beef soup in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 450 ml bowl. For institutional pots, catering and community kitchens.

GuestsLitres30 l potsCost of ingredients
25111₪307
50221₪614
100452₪1,227
200904₪2,455
5002259₪6,136

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Beef soup

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Beef soup

Order Beef soup for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

Which beef is best for beef soup?

Chuck, shank or rib, cuts with connective tissue that softens over long cooking. Lean cuts meant for quick grilling dry out in soup. Marrow bones add flavour and a rich fat.

How long does beef soup take to cook?

Two hours for the beef alone, plus 45 minutes with the vegetables. In a pressure cooker, 45 minutes is enough for the beef.

Do I need to brown the beef for soup?

For a brown, deep soup, yes, browning gives much of the flavour. For a clear Ashkenazi style beef soup, do not brown, and start in cold water.

What is the difference between beef soup and Yemenite soup?

Yemenite soup is seasoned with hawaij and turns yellow, with plenty of potatoes and coriander. Home style beef soup is built on tomato paste, paprika and mixed vegetables, and it is reddish brown.

How do I make beef and bean soup?

Soak 300 g of white beans overnight and cook them with the beef from the start, with an extra spoonful of tomato paste. The vegetables go in for the last hour as usual.

How do I make a clear beef soup?

Start the beef and bones in cold water, with no browning and no paste, skim patiently and keep a very gentle simmer. Strain through a fine sieve at the end.

Can I freeze beef soup?

Yes, for up to 3 months. The beef and broth freeze very well and the potatoes less so, so it is best to add fresh ones when reheating.

How many calories are in Beef soup?

A 450 ml bowl of Beef soup made with our recipe has about 338 calories and 26.3 g of protein. Per 100 ml: 75 calories.

How much does it cost to make Beef soup at home?

A pot of 8 bowls costs about ₪98 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪12 a bowl. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

Every soup in Israel

75 soups, each with a pot calculator, a price list and the science. Search by community, time, calories or cost.

All the soups

More soups

Yemenite beef soup
Yemenite

Yemenite beef soup

Yemenite beef soup is a pot of bone-in beef, potatoes, tomato, garlic and coriander, coloured gold and…

White bean soupIllustration
Israeli, Balkan

White bean soup

White bean soup with tomato paste and paprika is the orange winter soup of Israeli homes, with roots in the…

Barley soupIllustration
Ashkenazi, Polish

Barley soup

Barley soup is the thick winter soup of Ashkenazi and Israeli kitchens: pearl barley, carrot, celery,…

Goulash soupIllustration
Hungarian

Goulash soup

Goulash soup is the national soup of Hungary: beef simmered slowly with plenty of onion, sweet paprika and…

Turkey neck soupIllustration
Israeli

Turkey neck soup

Turkey neck soup is a thick, golden home soup in which turkey necks simmer slowly until the meat falls off…

Chicken soupIllustration
Ashkenazi, Israeli

Chicken soup

Clear chicken soup is the Friday night soup of the Israeli home: chicken, root vegetables and dill simmered…