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 a perfect meal when you’re looking for a hearty and comforting soup that’s both easy and delicious. This soup combines the rich flavors of beef broth, tender ground beef, and a variety of vegetables, creating an easy family dinner and leftovers the next day.
Its simplicity and the use of inexpensive ingredients make it a go-to on busy weeknights, especially if you appreciate a hearty vegetable soup with ground beef.
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How to Make Hamburger Soup
Making my Hamburger Soup recipe is easy. Start by cooking your ground meat, adding vegetables and broth, and letting everything simmer together in the pot. This easy hamburger soup recipe can be made in a large pot, dutch oven, or even in your slow cooker or instant pot.
Ingredients
To make this hearty 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 a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Make sure to break up the meat into large chunks and drain any excess 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. Add fresh parsley for a burst of color and flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat Variations: Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey or ground chicken for 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 other fresh (or canned/frozen) vegetables like sweet potatoes even green beans. Want to go totally easy? Throw in a bag or two of frozen 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 and chicken broth work 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 like chili powder or a pinch of brown sugar.
Best Tips
Browning the Meat: Properly browning the meat is key to a rich 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 beef vegetable 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 of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or a bit of brown sugar can be the secret ingredient that elevates the taste even farther in this easy 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: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days. Spoiler alert, it tastes even better the next day!
- Freezer: For longer storage, place the soup in a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remember to cool the soup to room temperature before storing.
What to Serve With Hamburger Vegetable Soup
This hearty soup pairs wonderfully with crusty 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
- Hamburger Potato Soup
Hamburger Soup
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.
Video
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.
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