Recreate the legendary comfort of Kansas City’s famous Plaza III restaurant with this rich, hearty steak soup that’s more like a satisfying stew. This beloved recipe combines ground steak with fresh vegetables in an intensely flavorful broth that warms you from the inside out. While the original Plaza III restaurant may have closed its doors, this treasured soup lives on in home kitchens everywhere, delivering the same soul-satisfying comfort that made it a Kansas City institution.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to Plaza III’s exceptional steak soup lies in building layers of flavor through proper technique. The roux foundation creates body and richness, while the combination of beef consommé and bouillon cubes delivers intense umami depth that elevates simple ground beef into something extraordinary. The careful balance of fresh and frozen vegetables ensures perfect texture, with fresh aromatics providing foundation flavors and frozen vegetables maintaining their shape and color during the long simmer.
The browning step for the ground steak develops essential Maillard reaction flavors that permeate the entire soup, while the gradual building of the broth prevents lumps and ensures silky smoothness.
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- Butter – Creates the roux foundation and adds richness to the broth
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the soup and provides body to the broth
- Beef consomm̩ РDelivers concentrated beef flavor and clear, rich taste
- Beef bouillon cube – Intensifies the beef flavor and adds saltiness
For the Vegetable Components:
- Fresh carrots – Provides sweetness and classic soup vegetable texture
- Fresh celery – Adds aromatic foundation and crisp texture contrast
- Yellow onion – Creates savory base and natural sweetness when cooked
- Diced canned tomatoes – Contributes acidity and umami depth
- Frozen mixed vegetables with corn, green beans, and peas – Adds color, nutrition, and varied textures
For the Meat and Seasonings:
- Ground steak (ground beef) – Provides hearty protein and substantial texture
- Ground black pepper – Adds warmth and spice to balance richness
- Kitchen Bouquet – Enhances color and adds subtle, savory depth
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) – Optional umami enhancer for authentic flavor
How to Make Steak Soup with Ground Beef
- Sauté beef in a large skillet until browned and drain.
- Place the butter in a soup pot and let it melt without browning.
- Add flour and stir to form a smooth paste.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the consommé to the roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add the carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes, and seasonings to a full boil.
- Stir and allow to regain a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are just barely tender.
- Add the frozen vegetables and browned ground steak.
- Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Tips For Making and Serving Steak and Potato Soup
- Yes, you can eliminate the adding additional MSG. Most studies show MSG is not the monster some people make it out to be. However, if you are sensitive to MSG or want to reduce your sodium intake, don’t use it.
- Make a deluxe version of the soup by replacing the ground beef with sirloin steak. Cut an equal amount of sirloin by weight into quarter-inch cubes before following the recipe.
What to Serve with Steak Soup
Since this thick soup already contains tons of veggies and meat, it doesn’t need many accompaniments, except maybe a nice crusty bread or crackers. You can have some fun by serving it in a bread bowl. Or, make a delicious, buttery parmesan cheese garlic bread, or dinner rolls to serve with it.
Additionally, it tastes fantastic with a fresh salad, such as a classic wedge salad or a simple Caesar salad.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Freezing: Store in sealed containers for up to 3 months. Label with preparation date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Note that potato-containing vegetables may change texture slightly after freezing.
- Refrigerator Storage: Transfer cooled soup to airtight containers for 3-4 days. The flavors often improve after the first day as ingredients meld together.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add small amounts of broth or water if the soup becomes too thick. Microwave individual portions covered with a paper towel, stirring halfway through.
Love homemade soup? Try these recipes!
- Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Senate Bean Soup
- Olive Garden Tuscan Soup
- Potato Soup with Milk
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup
- Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
- Restaurant Style Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
Favorite Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Ground Beef Chili Relleno Casserole
- Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole
- Mexican Cornbread with Ground Beef
Be sure to check out more of my hearty soup recipes and the best ground beef recipes here on CopyKat.com!
Plaza III Steak Soup – Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 20 ounce Beef consomme
- 1/4 cup diced carrot
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG – Monosodium Glutamate – Accent
- 5 ounces frozen Mixed Vegetables
- 1/2 pound Ground Beef browned and drained
Instructions
- Place the butter in a soup pot and allow it to melt without browning. Add flour and stir to form a smooth paste. Cook the mixture over medium heat, without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.Â
- Add the consomme to the roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a full boil. Add the fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and seasonings and allow it to regain a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are just barely tender. (This should take about 20 to 30 minutes.) Add the frozen vegetables and browned ground steak. Simmer an additional 15 minutes.
I lived in KC for 40 years and going to the Plaza III was always a treat. The soup was to die for. I am planning to serve this after our Candlelight Christmas tour to our docents. I made it today for a trial run. I love salt, but found this a bit salty even for me. I will try again using sodium free beef bouillion and maybe unsalted butter. That being said ~ this is exactly what I remember it to be! I will add crusty bread and call it a dinner! Just a reminder to all ~ have all your veggies cut, cans opened and seasonings ready to go!
This was very good! Thanks for a great Copy Cat!
This was a little salty for my liking. I’m almost sure it was made with steak of some sort too vs. ground beef.
No,it was definitely ground beef.
Are you sure the REAL Plaza III Steak Stew Soup was made with Ground Beef? I thought it was made with Round Steak.
It was! It was with leftovers from trimmings, etc. It was then ground (but not as much as ground round) When originally published in the KC Star newspaper, they said use round and grind it (by which they meant the metal grinders people used to have) although it mentioned that there were originally other meats – basically, what they had on hand. The creator also said it should simmer much, much longer. And the original did use Accent which had MSG but many people think they are allergic to that now days so many have subbed kitchen bouquet or something else. I don’t remember if it originally called for broth – I used water and maybe a couple of low salt bouillon cubes but if you simmer it at least a couple of hours, there isn’t really the need for costly broth (unless you make it yourself and have it on hand).
This was a hit in my house. The guys loved it!