Learn how to make this easy slow cooker beef soup; it’s super nourishing, comforting, and perfect on the GAPS Diet. It combines melt-in-your-mouth beef and tender vegetables to create a beef soup packed with gut-healing properties.
This nourishing, easy slow cooker beef soup is rich in collagen and immune-boosting properties, and it can support you on your wellness journey, too.
Made with made beef soup bones and a handful of simple ingredients simmered in filtered water, it creates a delicious, gelatin-rich meat stock that is perfect for supporting gut health and healing leaky gut. Learn about the powerful benefits of meat stock compared to bone broth here.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s easy – With a little planning, this dump and go recipe is perfect for busy families, and one pot makes for a quick clean up at dinner time.
It’s good for you – This one-pot meal is cooked low and slow to produce a beef meat stock that is full of gut-healing properties.
Freezer-friendly – This soup freezes really well, making it perfect for batch cooking.
Easy Slow Cooker Beef Soup for the GAPS Diet
The homemade beef meat stock is liquid gold for the digestive system. It’s a short-cooked stock packed full of flavor and the essential nutrients and building blocks needed to heal leaky gut.
Meat stock is a cornerstone of the GAPS diet, and beef soup bones are perfect the cuts of meat to make it! They offer a perfect blend of meaty bones packed with connective tissues, cartilage, fat, and bone for making meat stock with the essential nutrients and building blocks needed to heal leaky gut.
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the GAPS Diet, recommends consuming lots of meat stock daily; it is liquid gold for the digestive system! The more meat stock consumed, the quicker the gut lining heals! Think of meat stock as the glue that seals up your intestinal lining.
This nourishing Easy Slow Cooker Beef Soup recipe offers a delicious addition to your GAPS Diet meal plan. Suitable for Stage 6 of the GAPS Introduction Diet, though it can be modified to be eaten from Stage 2, see variation details later in the post.
When it comes to making meat stock in the slow cooker, The GAPS Chef, Monica Carrado, recommends cooking for 1 hour on high then 8 hours on low for beef to bring the soup to a gentle simmer for the connective tissue to break down and the deep rich flavour to develop in the meat stock and soup.
Choosing Quality Ingredients
To maximize the healing properties of this soup, pay close attention to the quality and source of your ingredients. Choose the highest-quality beef soup bones you can find or afford.
- Good: Free-range
- Better: Grass-fed or pasture-raised
- Best: Organic, grass-fed or pasture-raised
Whenever possible, opt for organic produce. This not only enhances nutrient absorption but also greatly reduces your intake of harmful pesticides and toxins.
For seasoning, select Celtic Sea salt. Unlike highly processed salts, Celtic Sea salt contains a rich profile of trace minerals—such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium—that are essential for maintaining your body’s electrolyte balance.
Looking to learn more about the power of food as medicine and root cause healing? Check out GAPS Diet and GAPS Introduction Stages to learn more.
Ingredients
- Beef soup bones – Use any combination of neck, knuckle, vertebrae, oxtail, shank, or osso buco.
- Onions
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Bay leaves
- Peppercorns
- Celtic Sea salt
- Fresh thyme
- Filtered water
- Cauliflower
- Butternut squash
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Slow Cooker
How to Make Easy Beef Soup in the Slow Cooker
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to.
- Add all the ingredients except cauliflower and butternut squash to the slow cooker and cook 1 hour on high, then 6 hours on low.
- Add the cauliflower and butternut to the pot, and resume cooking for about 1-1/2 hours until the butternut squash is tender.
- Remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard.
- Remove the beef soup bones from the pot and separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and return to the pot.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Make it GAPS Stage 2 – Omit the butternut squash
How to Introduce and Serve
Serve in your favourite bowl, mug, or thermos for on the go.
We love to top ours with homemade Sour Cream.
From GAPS Intro Stage 2, you can also blend in an egg yolk or 2.
From GAPS Intro Stage ,4 add a drizzle of olive oil for more healthy fats.
How to Store and Reheat
Store in a glass airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat in a saucepan on low, stirring consistently or in a glass container in the oven.
FAQ
What kind of slow cooker should I choose?
Stainless steel or lead-free ceramic pots are good options; you’ll want to avoid non-stick coatings and exposure to plastic parts that can leech chemicals into your meal.
Can I cook this recipe on the stovetop?
Yes, use a 6L heavy-based pot or Dutch oven. Bring the pot to a boil, then skim the scum of the top and reduce to a gentle simmer for 4 hours, then add the cauliflower and butternut to the pot, and resume cooking for about 40 minutes.
If you make this recipe and love it, tag me on Instagram @nourishmecookery with your delicious creation.
More Soup Recipes from the Kitchen
Are you thinking about starting the GAPS diet?
Learn more about the GAPS Diet and Introduction Diet. Get started today work with Rebecca, a Certified GAPS Coach, for personalized one-on-one coaching tailored to your unique health goals. Together, let’s create lasting, positive changes in your wellness journey.
Resources
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
- Gut and Psychology Syndrome (Yellow Book)
- Gut and Physiology Syndrome (Blue Book)
Monica Corrado (GAPS Chef)
Easy Slow Cooker Beef Soup
Learn how to make this easy slow cooker beef soup, its super nourishing, comforting, and perfect on the GAPS Diet. It combines melt-in-your-mouth beef and tender vegetables to create a beef soup packed with gut-healing properties.
Ingredients
- 2kg beef soup bones or oxtail
- 3 brown onions, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 3 tbsp Celtic Sea salt
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2L filtered water/ enough to cover the bones
- 1/2 head of cauliflower head, florets
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except cauliflower and butternut squash to the slow cooker and cook 1 hour on high, then 6 hours on low.
- Add the cauliflower and butternut to the pot, and resume cooking for about 1-1/2 hours until the butternut squash is tender.
- Remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard.
- Remove the beef soup bones from the pot and separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and return to pot.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; and does not consider your individual situation. If you have medical questions, please consult with a qualified medical practitioner.
Last Updated on 13/07/2025 by Rebecca MacTavish
I’m Rebecca, a Certified GAPS & Nutrition Coach, and I help busy mums restore their family’s gut health—one kitchen, one meal at a time. I share practical tips, simple recipes, and ways to create lasting change.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @nourishmecookery on Instagram so we can find you!
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