Plaza III Steak Soup

Looking for a hearty beef soup? This recipe won’t disappoint. Layering flavors of beef, vegetables, and seasonings help make this soup taste very rich. Be sure to serve with some garlic bread.

overhead view of two bowls of homemade Plaza III steak soup


Plaza III steak soup is rich, thick, and hearty. Some consider it to be more like a stew than a soup.

It was very popular at the restaurant in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the Plaza 3 restaurant has closed. The only way to enjoy this tasty soup is to make it at home with this copycat recipe.

A good beef soup really hits the spot when you a little more comfort in your life. After an afternoon of shoveling the driveway or whenever you are feeling a tad under the weather, this Kansas City steak soup is going to restore your energy and brighten your day. Thick and savory enough to satisfy your cravings but light enough to enjoy as a starter, this is one steak soup recipe that you don’t want to pass by.

What’s Beef Consomme?

You can think of beef consomme as a supercharged version of beef stock. It concentrates beef stock by simmering it for about an hour on low heat with ground beef, vegetables, seasonings, egg whites, and eggshells! The meat, veggies, and seasonings add more flavor to the broth, while the egg whites and shells help keep the consomme clear. The consomme is then carefully strained. The result is thicker and richer than broth or stock.

With everything else going on in this steak soup with ground beef, you can safely use beef broth without losing too much flavor or mouthfeel if you can’t get your hands on a can of beef consomme.

Let’s Make a Roux

Roux is an essential part of this steak soup recipe. It is the primary thickener of the soup, and gives it a unique chowder-like texture. Roux is easy to make, but you need to babysit it constantly, so make sure you have the time before cooking.

  1. Put the butter into a thick-bottomed pan over medium heat. You can substitute any other type of fat you happen to have on hand. The only rule is that you need to use equal amounts of fat and all-purpose flour by weight when making a roux.
  2. Let the butter, or other fat, melt entirely before adding your flour.
  3. Use a wooden spatula or cooking spoon to incorporate the flour and fat fully. Since you will be scraping the bottom of your pan, you don’t want to use metal utensils when making a roux.
  4. Stir all the time to prevent the roux from burning. Try stirring in a figure-8 pattern with an occasional circle to scrape down the rim of the pan. Be careful. If the heat is too high, the roux can splatter. Watch your heat and use a long-handled utensil.
  5. For this recipe, you don’t want the roux to color too much. So, once the color changes to a light blonde, and you begin to smell something like fresh bread, you can continue with the recipe.

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 below.
  • Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal. If you are taking this Kansas City steak soup to the office or school, try packing a few hearty crackers.

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Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Beef consommé
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Onion
  • Diced canned tomatoes
  • Kitchen Bouquet
  • Beef bouillon cube
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
  • Frozen mixed vegetables
  • Ground steak (ground beef)
Plaza III Steak Soup ingredients

How to Make Steak Soup with Ground Beef

  1. Brown the ground steak and drain.
  2. Place the butter in a soup pot and allow it to melt without browning.
  3. Add flour and stir to form a smooth paste.
  4. Cook the mixture over medium heat, without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
    roux for Plaza III steak soup in a pot
  5. Add the consommé to the roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened.
  6. Bring to a full boil and add the carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes, and seasonings.
  7. Stir and allow to regain a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are just barely tender.
  8. Add the frozen vegetables and browned ground steak.
    Plaza III steak soup ingredient in a pot before cooking.
  9. Simmer an additional 15 minutes.
two bowls of homemade Plaza III steak soup and two spoons

Love homemade soup? Try these recipes!

Favorite Ground Beef Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my hearty soup recipes and the best ground beef recipes here on CopyKat.com!

overhead view of two bowls of homemade Plaza III steak soup

Plaza III Steak Soup

You can make the Plaza III steak soup at home. 
5 from 7 votes
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Plaza III Steak Soup, Steak Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 174kcal

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. 
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 1775IU | Vitamin C: 3.9mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie

    5 stars
    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!

    • Lindi

      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).

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