I was just going to suggest this. My MIL used to do this.

I use a cheap beef roast (chuck, arm, etc) I flour & sear the meat on all sides in a bit of oil, then soften onion, celery, shredded carrot in the same oil & add to the roast, cover with foil (or tight fitting lid & roast at low heat until falling apart. I then shred the beef & chop the shreds (not too small) I strain out the veggie bits from the liquid in the pot & save the liquid - also deglaze the pan if any browned bits are left in it. I do this the day before I make the soup. Then I just combine the beef, liquid & veggies I have on hand. I never add all the veggies at the same time, because some cook faster than others & I don't want any of them mushy - lol. I never need all the beef for my soup, so what is left I can use for beef & noodles, bbq beef, or just freeze & save for the next pot of soup.

hugs,
Shirley in Indiana

I too boil my beef before my veggies. It is a myth that you can boil beef too long.

yummy, now i am hungry for soup, thank you for all the tips and suggestions

You're probably not cooking it long enough. Cook the meat first, low, slow heat, but don't add the vegetables till later or they'll get all mushy. When I'm not using ground beef, I use a chuck roast and add a soup bone ( I can generally get one at the butchers) and cook the beef till its fork tender - usually several hours- then take out the bone and pull the roast apart like a pulled beef sandwich. Put it back in and then add the veggies. Not a fast process, but by the end of the day, the house sure does smell good!

I brown the meat in a pot and then I put it in the crockpot with all the veggies and let it cook for seven or eight hours...The meat is always falling apart....

After watching "In The Kitchen with David" on QVC and Bob Warden with his pressure cooker I have had the best beef stew in about and hour - maybe a little longer depending how much meat I buy. But I also throw in some red wine - helps break down the meat. But I pressure cook the meat first then later take out the meat cut it up, add all the vegetables (except the peas and corn) and bring it back to pressure for 5 more minutes. Release the pressure and add the flour to thicken it and then add the peas and corn.

I think it does depend on the cut of meat you are using. Chuck roast you need to cook low and slow. Looks like you got a lot of good advice here.