Happiness is wrapping your hands around a bowl of soup on a chilly day. Even better if the soup is hearty enough to serve as a full meal. This Beefy Keto Minestrone satisfies both of those requirements, and then some! It’s thick, flavorful, and packed with healthy protein and veggies.
I love turning classic comfort food into keto-friendly options, like Keto Beef Stew and Chicken Parmesan Meatballs. This hearty minestrone-style recipe fits right in – warm, cozy, and perfect for busy weeknights or easy meal prep.
I took my inspiration from the traditional Italian soup, but gave it a low carb, high protein twist. I swapped out the pasta for cauliflower, and added ground beef to make it ultra-satisfying.
It was one of those recipes that happened almost by accident. A friend had made some minestrone for a dinner party, and left the pasta and beans out of mine. I took the leftovers home and added some ground beef when I needed a heartier meal. It was so good, I decided I had to make it that way from scratch.
It’s become one of my favorite high protein keto recipes for chilly days. I can’t get enough!
Why you will love this keto minestrone
- A soup that eats like a meal: Packed with hearty beef and low carb veggies for a complete meal in a bowl.
- Low carb comfort: All the cozy flavor of traditional minestrone, without the pasta or beans.
- One pan wonder: Everything gets cooked in the same pan, so clean up is a breeze
- Protein-packed: With a whopping 35 grams of protein per serving, to fuel your busy days.
- Quick to make: Ready in 35 minutes, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
- Great for meal prep: It reheats nicely, so make a big batch and enjoy it all week long.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: You could also use ground turkey.
- Onion: Using 1/4 cup adds flavor without adding too many carbs.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor.
- Low carb vegetables: Keto-friendly veggies like zucchini, cauliflower, celery and green beans make this hearty soup a full meal.
- Beef broth: You could also use chicken broth.
- Diced tomatoes: Canned tomatoes work great in this recipe.
- Tomato paste: I keep the carb count down by using only 1-tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Pantry staples: Olive oil, Red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
How to Make This Recipe
- Brown the meat: Brown the ground beef until mostly cooked through, then transfer to a bowl.
- Sauté the aromatics: Sauté the celery and onion until softened, then add the garlic and seasonings.
- Add the remaining veggies: Stir in the green beans and zucchini and cook until softened.
- Simmer the soup: Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and cook until just becoming tender.
- Add the beef: Stir the ground beef back into the soup and cook until everything is heated through.
- Enjoy! It’s delicious with a little grated parmesan on top.
Tips for Success
Take the time to brown the beef properly. This makes a big difference to the flavor of the finished soup.
Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch pieces. It will cook faster and more evenly.
Salting the vegetables lightly helps them release moisture and flavor when sautéing. But hold back on adding most of the salt and pepper until the end, so you can adjust it to your liking.
You May Also Enjoy…
If you love cozy keto comfort foods like this, I’ve got plenty more to warm you up! Try my Keto Chicken Noodle Soup when you’re craving something classic, or my Stuffed Pepper Skillet for an easy one-pan dinner. And if you’re a fan of Italian-inspired flavors, don’t miss my Keto Italian Sausage Soup — it’s another hearty favorite the whole family will love.
Keto Minestrone with Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (680.39 g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small (118 g) zucchini, chopped
- 6 ounce (170.1 g) green beans, chopped
- 4 cups (946.35 ml) beef broth
- 2/3 cup (99.33 g) diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cauliflower florets, cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven, brown the ground beef until mostly cooked through, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in the same pot and sauté the celery and onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook another minute.
- Add the green beans and zucchini, and toss to combine. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables being to soften.
- Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and cook until just becoming tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the beef back into the pan and stir to combine. Cook another minute or two until everything is heated through.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This recipe works well with any ground meat. Turkey and chicken keep it lighter, while ground pork adds a bit of extra richness.
Yes — simply skip the ground beef and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. You can bulk it up with extra cauliflower, zucchini, or even some chopped mushrooms for texture.
You can freeze this keto soup but do note that the vegetables will soften even more in the freezing and thawing process.
This beefy keto minestrone with beef recipe has 8.2g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.8g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Amazingly yummy!!!
Flavorful, filling and just a little kick. Great change of pace for cold days doing Keto!
Glad you liked it!
Everything you post is delish!!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
I also added Spinach and Kale and a couple of Italian sausages I had in the fridge. My husband didn’t like the red pepper flakes, so now I have lunch for a week!! Next time, I will omit the Red Pepper flakes, just for him. I love it! Very meaty!!
Sounds delicious!
Easy and so delicious on a super-cold day!
Made this for supper tonight on a very cold Sunday ! I omitted the cauliflower and halved the green beans in favor of adding a bit more tomatoes. Added oregano and parsley and a dab of red wine vinegar . So satisfying!! I took the suggestion of another reviewer and served it over GF noodles for the kids but my husband and I had as is . Yum!
I just made this soup and it is delicious. The only thing I had to change for lack of ingredients were fresh herbs.
Thanks so much!
Great to hear!
I made it with chicken didn’t have tomatoes so I used radishes chopped into small bite size as well as zucchini and carrots. Had a little leftover red pepper that I chopped up and put into the pot since I used chicken I used my homemade chicken bone broth. Overall same idea as above. Love the one pot meals and it’s even better the next day! Thank you so much for your great recipes!
Sounds delish!
Just made. Lovely. Realized I didn’t have beef broth so used chicken stock and a can of French onion soup. Very good – as is everything you share. Your page is my go-to for recipes, even when I don’t need keto. Everything is a winner!
This sounds really good, will make this when it gets colder here in Kansas. I’ll probably add poblano and jalapeno peppers. I don’t like “spicy” but I like a little spice. Thank you Carolyn, been making your recipes for years now. Trying to get back to a strict keto diet, so….
I made this beef minestrone soup tonight and it was excellent. I did tweak the recipe a little. I added more cauliflower (10 oz versus 8 oz), more onion (a 1/2) and a full 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomato. I also added 4 oz of sliced mushrooms. I ended up with a bit more soup (I have big eaters here). For my non-keto family members, I just boiled some pasta and ladled the soup over the pasta. Win-Win.
PS: thank you for all the great recipes.
Sounds great!
delicious recipe, comforting, filling and easy to put together. I’ll be making this weekly!!
My husband loves Minestrone soup and this one passed the test for him! I added Italian seasoning and also some lupini beans I happened to have on hand. Very forgiving recipe if you have to adjust the vegetables.
I have a question?
I have been following you for years, love your books and one of my favorite things is your “Keto Peanut Butter Bars” with 5.6g of Protein.
I would like to increase the Protein using Whey Protein.
How can I do this?
Thanks so much.
I think you will need to experiment a bit, reducing the peanut flour and adding in more protein powder.
What a wonderful way to use up the last of the autumn garden offerings!
I subbed the ground beef with some smoked turkey I found in the freezer. Perfect addition!
Great Recipe!
I am going to assume this recipe is as stellar as your others. On this cold, dreary midwestern day, this is just the great idea I needed for dinner. Thank you.