On chilly nights, I often cook my easy Hamburger Soup recipe. This easy ground beef vegetable soup is loaded with flavor, thanks to tasty browned hamburger meat, chunky vegetables, and a savory broth. This popular soup will warm your belly and satisfy your family. It’s truly a crowd pleaser.
Why You’ll Love Hamburger Soup
My Hamburger Soup recipe is aperfect mealwhen you’re looking for a hearty andcomforting soupthat’s both easy and delicious. This soupcombines the rich flavors ofbeef broth,tender ground beef, and a variety of vegetables, creating an easy family dinner and leftovers the next day.
Its simplicity and the use ofinexpensive ingredientsmake it a go-to on busy weeknights, especially if you appreciate a heartyvegetable soupwith ground beef.
How to Make Hamburger Soup
Making my Hamburger Soup recipe is easy. Start by cooking yourground meat, adding vegetables and broth, and letting everything simmer together in the pot. Thiseasy hamburger soup recipecan be made in alarge pot,dutch oven, or even in yourslow cookerorinstant pot.
Ingredients
To make thishearty Hamburger Soup recipe, you will need:
- 1 lb. ground beef, I used 85/15
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots , diced
- 1 medium diced onion
- 2 medium potatoes, diced, I used Yukon gold
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Brown the meat. In alarge potordutch oven, heatolive oilovermedium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Make sure to break up the meat intolarge chunksand drain anyexcess fat.
STEP 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours (with the lid on, but tilted so steam can release) or until the vegetables are tender.
STEP 3: Remove the bay leaf from the pot and serve.
Final Touches: Taste and adjust seasonings as needed in your Hamburger Soup. Addfresh parsleyfor a burst of color and flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat Variations: Instead of ground beef, tryground turkeyorground chickenfor a lighter version. If you don’t have any meat on hand, you could even add some small shell pasta or rice to give it extra body.
- Vegetable Variations: Feel free to add otherfresh (or canned/frozen) vegetableslikesweet potatoes evengreen beans. Want to go totally easy? Throw in a bag or two offrozen vegetables. You’re free to use any type of potatoes you you have on hand. I tend to prefer Yukon gold for this recipe, but you can use red potatoes or russet potatoes as well.
- Broth Options: Both beef andchicken brothwork well in this soup. Alternatively, if you’re going for a meat-free version, you can use vegetable broth.
- Spices: For a different flavor profile, experiment with spices likechili powderor a pinch ofbrown sugar.
Best Tips
Browning the Meat: Properly browning the meat is key to arich flavor. You want to sear the ground beef (without burning) to get that yummy flavor. Make sure to cook it until it’s no longer pink.
Hearty Vegetables: For a more rustic ground beefvegetable soup, cut the vegetables into larger, hearty chunks to ensure they hold up during cooking.
Simmering: Don’t rush the simmering process. This is when the flavors meld together. You’ll have the most flavorful hamburger soup recipe when you give it time to marry in the pot!
Secret Ingredient: There are so many different ways to add a splash of wow to this recipe! A dash ofWorcestershire sauce,soy sauce, or a bit ofbrown sugarcan be thesecret ingredientthat elevates the taste even farther in thiseasy soup.
Can You Make Hamburger Soup in the Instant Pot?
Yes! To make hamburger soup in an Instant Pot, start by setting the pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and cook 1 lb. of 85/15 ground beef with a diced medium onion until the beef is browned. If there’s excess fat, drain it off.
Then, add 1 cup each of diced celery and carrots, and 2 diced Yukon gold potatoes to the pot. Next, pour in 5 cups of beef broth, and add a 15 oz. can of drained corn, an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Season the mixture with 1 teaspoon each of salt and Italian seasoning, and add a bay leaf.
Seal the pot, switch to ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ mode, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. After the cooking time, allow the pot to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release. Remove the bay leaf, and your hamburger soup is ready to serve.
This method creates a hearty and flavorful soup in a short amount of time.
Can You Make Hamburger Soup Recipe in a Crockpot?
It’s super easy to make my hamburger soup recipe in a Crock Pot, and this version will surely become a family favorite. Just brown 1 lb. of ground beef with a diced medium onion, then drain and transfer to the slow cooker.
Add 1 cup each of diced celery and carrots, 2 diced Yukon gold potatoes, 5 cups beef broth, a drained 15 oz. can of corn, an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
How to Store Hamburger Soup
- Refrigerator: Storeleftover soupin anairtight containerin the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days. Spoiler alert, it tastes even better thenext day!
- Freezer: For longer storage, place the soup in afreezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remember to cool the soup toroom temperaturebefore storing.
What to Serve With HamburgerVegetable Soup
Thishearty souppairs wonderfully withcrusty bread, perfect for dipping, or a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. You could also serve it with a simple green salad. Honestly, one of the things I love the most about my Hamburger Soup recipe is that it’s a complete meal in itself.
Whether you’re experiencing winter’s chill or you’re just looking for a tasty soup any time of the year, I hope you’ll give my easy ground beef vegetable soup a try. Let me know how you like it, and if you added any additional ingredients to make it special for your family!
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Ground Turkey Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Hearty and delicious hamburger soup is a family dinner staple! Made with savory ground beef and vegetables, this is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights and cold winter days.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef, I used 85/15
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots , diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, diced, I used Yukon gold
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven (I used a 6-quart), over medium heat brown the ground beef until done. Spoon off the excess fat.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours (with the lid on, but tilted so steam can release) or until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Notes
- You can modify this recipe to accomodate any meat that you have on hand. If you'd like to go meatless, use pasta, beans, or rice to beef-up the soup.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 222Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1036mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 17g
