Prime rib soup is an easy vegetable beef soup that uses leftover prime rib, making it perfect for lazy cooking after the holidays! This hearty soup features plenty of tasty veggies, and an optional bone broth that can be made with leftover prime rib roast bones (and it adds tons of flavor)!
Leftover Prime Rib Soup
Around the holidays a hearty prime rib roast is one of my family's go-to dishes. I've had to get creative over the years on different ways to use up the leftovers because no one wants to eat beef sandwiches for a week straight! This prime rib soup is one of my favorites because it is comforting, savory, and features a slew of tender veggies that really warm the soul!
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🥘 Ingredients
Making a bone broth from the leftover prime rib bones is optional, but highly recommended. It's worth the extra work to give your soup a more complex, savory beef flavor!
Bone Broth (Optional)
- 4 Prime Rib Roast Bones - You will want a minimum of three bones, but you can use even more if you have them. They can be roasted or blanched first for added flavor.
- 2 medium Carrots - I never peel my carrots, so no need, but you will want them roughly chopped. These, and all the veggies, can be fresh or roasted first for extra flavor.
- 3 ribs Celery - Fresh or roasted and roughly chopped.
- 1 small Yellow Onion - You could also use a sweet white onion. Roughly chopped as well and roasted if desired.
- 3 cloves Garlic - Fresh or roasted and roughly chopped. ¾ a teaspoon of garlic powder can be used in its place, but fresh is ideal.
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar - Or an apple cider vinegar substitute in a pinch.
- 2 whole Bay Leaves - Don't forget to scoop them out when done with your broth!
Prime Rib Soup
- 1 ½ pounds Prime Rib Roast - Because it's already cooked, your cook time is reduced significantly. If you have a little more or a little less leftover, just use what you have!
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil - Extra virgin if possible.
- ½ cup Yellow onion - Sweet white onion will also work. Chop it up!
- 1 teaspoon Garlic - About 1 average sized clove, minced.
- 6 cups Beef Broth - You can always use store bought, but the homemade bone broth above is even better.
- 15 ounces Canned Tomatoes - 1 small 14.5-ounce can is close enough if you don't have a larger can. Do not drain the liquid.
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning - A teaspoon of Herbes de Provence may also be used.
- ½ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper - More or less to taste.
- 2 cups Russet Potatoes - They should be washed and cut into ½-inch cubes. I prefer not to peel my potatoes, but that is up to you.
- 3 medium Carrots - Again, not peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick slices.
- 1 rib Celery - Sliced a ½ inch thick.
- 1 cup Green Beans - Cut into 1-inch pieces.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 Instructions
There's more than a few steps to making this soup, but none of them are complicated. If you are roasting bones or veggies you will need a baking sheet, then just a stockpot, a knife, and a spatula!
Bone Broth (Optional)
- Place ingredients in pot. To make an easy bone broth using the bones from your leftover prime rib roast, toss at least 3 bones in a large stockpot and cover them with water. Then, add 2 carrots, 3 ribs celery, 1 small yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and 2 whole bay leaves.
- Boil. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Ideally the bones and veggies should boil for 4-5 hours, but can boil for as little as 30 minutes. If only boiling for 30 minutes, the beef flavor won't be as pronounced. Supplement with some beef base from Better Than Bouillon or something similar.
- Remove bones and veggies. Once done boiling, use a slotted spoon to remove the bones and veggies from the broth. Set aside and use this as the base for your soup in place of the 6 cups beef broth in the ingredients.
Prime Rib Soup
- Saute. Cube 1½ pounds of leftover prime rib roast. In a large stockpot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 small onion and saute for roughly 2 minutes. Then, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and saute for more 30 seconds.
- Add more veggies. Once the onion and garlic are fragrant, add in 2 cups of cubed russet potatoes, 1 rib celery, and 3 carrots. Saute the veggies until they begin to get tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Scrape fond. After the veggies are somewhat tender, add in the cubed prime rib, 15 ounces of canned tomatoes with the juices, 6 cups beef broth (or your homemade bone broth), 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon of both salt & pepper (more or less to taste). Use a spatula to scrape all the brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer. Bring everything to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in 1 cup of green beans and simmer for 10 more minutes. *If you prefer your green beans softer, they may be added with the potatoes and other veggies.
- Serve. Once done simmering, remove from heat and serve right away.
This hearty soup is a meal all on its own! However, you can always serve it over some white rice or a piece of crusty rustic bread. Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- Frozen veggies are A-OK! If you'd like to add mixed frozen veggies, frozen green beans, or frozen corn, add them toward the end of the cooking time like you would the fresh green beans.
- Storing: Prime rib soup can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. However, if your leftover prime rib has already been sitting in the fridge for a while before adding it to the soup it should be eaten immediately. Soup may be frozen for up to 3 months, but should not be re-frozen once it has been thawed out. That frozen soup in the fridge overnight.
- To reheat your soup, place it in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat until heated to your satisfaction.
🍲 More Hearty Soups & Stews!
- Cabbage Soup with Kielbasa
- Leftover Prime Rib Beef & Barley Soup
- Crockpot Creamy Ham Potato Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
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📖 Recipe Card
Prime Rib Soup
Ingredients
Bone Broth (Optional)
- 4 prime rib roast bones (3+ bones)
- 2 medium carrots (fresh or roasted, roughly chopped)
- 3 ribs celery (fresh or roasted, roughly chopped)
- 1 small yellow onion (fresh or roasted, roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (fresh or roasted, roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 whole bay leaves
Prime Rib Soup
- 1 ½ lbs prime rib roast (leftover portion cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ cup yellow onion (chopped, or use sweet or white onion)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 2 cups russet potatoes (washed and cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 rib celery (sliced ½ inch thick)
- 3 medium carrots (sliced ½ inch thick)
- 6 cups beef broth (or prime rib bone broth)
- 15 oz canned tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or Herbes de Provence)
- 1 cup green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Prime Rib Bone Broth (Optional)
- To make a bone broth with leftover prime rib bones, place the bones in your stockpot and cover with water. Add in the roughly chopped veggies apple cider vinegar, and bay leaves.
- Boil bones and veggies ideally for 4-5 hours but a minimum of 30 minutes. If only doing 30 minutes beef flavor will not be as strong, so supplement by adding beef base by Better Than Bouillon or something similar.
- Remove the bones and veggies from the broth with a slotted spoon and use this as the broth for your prime rib soup.
Prime Rib Soup
- Cube leftover prime rib roast into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, then continue to saute an additional 30 seconds.
- Once the garlic and onion are fragrant add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot. Saute the veggies for 6-8 minutes, until starting to get tender.
- Next, add the leftover prime rib, beef broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Use your spatula to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer for 10 more minutes. *If you prefer your green beans softer, they may be added with the potatoes and other veggies.
- Remove from heat when done and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you'd like to add mixed frozen veggies, frozen green beans, or frozen corn, add them toward the end of the cooking time like you would the fresh green beans in the instructions.
- Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated, typically for up to 3-4 days. Your soup will store well, but should be used more immediately if your prime rib leftovers were already a couple of days old before using in this recipe.
Crystal says
What if I only had one prime rib bone? It says minimum 3. And I boiled it for a few hours. Until meat was falling off. Can I use the broth or do I need to put the bone back in and add veggies and herbs?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You can use the broth, I would suggest enhancing the beef flavor with bouillon to taste. Thanks for asking!
Latte says
absolutely delicious, will be making again
Nikki says
Excited to try this tonight with my leftover Xmas dinner but wondering, for the tomatoes, is it whole, diced or crushed?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Any will do, but diced or whole are best. Enjoy!
Cindy says
This soup is the best beef veggie I've ever had so obviously the best I've ever made! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe using left over prime rib but mostly items we had on hand. I used the bones for broth but had to add a couple more cups of water and Better Than Broth to equal the 6 cups broth.
Living in cold county, it was nice having the heat from the stove and the kitchen smelling like comfort food.
I can hardly wait to try some of your other creations.
Christine Williams says
I made this soup for tonight’s dinner. There was some variations that I made. I did some fresh vegetables with frozen vegetables. It was delicious!!
Sandie Wyly says
This was the most delicious soup I have ever had. Love serving over mashed potatoes!
Anonymous says
This is super tasty and is a great way to get rid of leftovers! I made the broth the day before, refrigerated the broth so that I could remove the fat. Then made the soup!
Laurie says
Can this soup be frozen?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, most definitely! I would suggest freezing it as soon as it cools (rather than after days of being stored in the fridge) since it is made with leftover prime rib. Thanks for asking!