I always said that if I couldn’t do something with perfection that I didn’t want to do it at all.
And then I had a baby and realized that sometimes you have to get stuff done and there isn’t always time to do it perfectly.
I had hopes of creating a glamorous beef and butternut squash soup, topped with delicious bacon crumbles and feta cheese. Seriously, I was so excited.
Somehow, my brain just isn’t functioning right these days though, so when I went grocery shopping, I forgot to get the butternut squash, and without butternut squash there obviously can be no butternut squash soup.
As I was frantically racing around my kitchen trying to prepare something that was not only healthy and delicious, but that would also fill my husband and keep him happy, I decided to go with potatoes. Although this changed the entire makeup of the soup, I can’t say I regret it. It was entirely delicious, and we were both full and satisfied.
I haven’t quite mastered how to take all the time I need to photograph my recipes step by step while also running to the nursery to give my daughter her paci, so I don’t have any photos for this one other than a beginning and end photo.
You’ll just have to take my word on this one- it’s super simple, doesn’t involve a ton of hands on time, and it’s incredibly delicious and guilt free!
Enjoy!
(Ps, you can totally add cheese to your bowl of soup for some added flavor, but I wanted this recipe to be whole30 compliant!)
Oh, and here’s how it started:

Easy Beef and Bacon Soup
Here's What You Need
- 1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast trimmed
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
- 4 c fresh spinach leaves
- 1 c pearl onions (optional)
- 6 medium golden yukon potatoes
- 4 c water***
- 6 slices thick cut bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- salt and peper to taste
Here's What You Do
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Slice beef into bite sized chunks, the sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Add beef, garlic, and olive oil to a stock pot and sauté on medium. Once meat it browned, add bacon pieces.
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(While bacon is cooking, slice potatoes into medium sized chunks).
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Once bacon is cooked, if you find there to be excess oil in the pan, you can drain. This is optional, and totally based on preference.
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Add water, potatoes, pearl onions (if using), spinach leaves, ground sage, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering until potatoes are tender, stirring only occasionally.
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Remove from heat and serve immediately, adding more salt and pepper to taste! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You can add more water if you find that your soup is too thick, but if you do, just let it simmer a bit longer to add more flavor to the water. Alternatively, you can use beef stock or vegetable stock in place of water, but pay attention to ingredients if you want this recipe to remain Whole30 compliant!