This hearty hamburger soup is loaded with ground beef, potatoes and an assortment of vegetables, all in a savory broth. The perfect easy dinner option that the whole family will love!
When I’m looking for a one pot meal that I know will be a crowd pleaser, I turn to chili mac, chicken cacciatore or this simple yet satisfying hamburger soup.
Sometimes I find myself with a pound of ground beef and no clue what to make with it. It’s times like that when I turn to hamburger soup- it’s satisfying, quick, and you can customize it with whatever ingredients you already have around the house.
How do you make hamburger soup?
This soup starts with the classic base of onions, carrot and celery. The veggies are sauteed until softened. After your veggies are done, the hamburger goes into the pot to brown. I use a 90% lean ground beef, it’s got plenty of flavor but doesn’t make the soup greasy. If you’re using beef with a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off any excess fat before you move to the next step. After the meat and veggies are ready, I add tomatoes, tomato sauce, potatoes, beef broth and herbs to the pot, then bring the whole thing to a simmer. After the potatoes have softened, it’s time to stir in some corn and green beans. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect soup
- The smaller you cut your potatoes, the less time it will take for this soup to cook. I cut mine into 1/2 inch cubes and it typically takes about 20-25 minutes for the potatoes to soften.
- I use fresh green beans, but you can absolutely use frozen if you prefer. The key is to add them at the end of the cooking time so that they don’t get mushy.
- Make sure to cut all of your vegetables into similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
- This soup stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.
Soup variations
I love this recipe as-is, but you can absolutely add other ingredients into the mix to customize the soup to your tastes.
- Protein: Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey, mild Italian sausage or even cooked shredded chicken.
- Potatoes: Skip the Russet potatoes and use Yukon Gold potatoes, red potatoes or even sweet potatoes.
- Vegetables: Try adding other veggies such as kale, butternut squash, bell peppers, spinach, zucchini or peas.
Can you freeze hamburger soup?
This soup is a great candidate for the freezer, and will stay fresh for up to 2 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight, then reheat it on the stove over low heat until warmed through.
Slow cooker hamburger soup
This soup can be made in the slow cooker instead of on the stove top. Follow the first four steps of the recipe, then place the ground beef and vegetable mixture in a crock pot along with the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, potatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours. Stir in the frozen corn and green beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
This hamburger soup is hearty enough to stand on its own as a complete meal, but I often serve it with some crusty bread because it’s such a nice complement to the soup.
What’s your favorite way to use hamburger meat? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
More soup recipes
- Tortellini Soup with Sausage
- Ham Bone Soup
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Alphabet Soup with Meatballs
Hamburger Soup Video
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 2 carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or equal parts of garlic powder, dried oregano and dried basil
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 large russet potato peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup diced green beans fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned and mostly cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, beef broth and potato to the pot; bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Stir in the corn and green beans and cook for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- If you use ground beef with a higher fat content, be sure to drain off any excess fat before you proceed to the next step.
- Ground turkey (93% lean) can be substituted for the ground beef.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 8 2018 and was updated on October 20, 2019 with new content.
Kim says
We called this mulligan stew growing up. Not a new recipe in the south-it’s a go to the cupboards low on staples meal
Levi says
Bumped garlic and all spices to taste!
Great recipe for anyone who likes/loves to eat and /or cooks
!!
Thanks
mary hartman says
I love this recipe and so does my family, I omit Italian seasoning, but I do add some red pepper flakes, adds a little kick. I serve it with Ditali pasta, and some crusty french bread! YUMMY!
Diana Beltran says
We love this soup so much , sometimes I add cooked elbow macaroni and a little sweet peas . And buy simply made cornbread mix in a box to make easy Mexican corn bread to go with it. That recipe is online .Everyone loves this .
Patsy Rowe says
I’ve made this soup probably 10 times!! Love it!!
Brittany says
Could I use canned carrots instead??
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Tamra Pearson says
Made this today and loved it! I added barley as another reader had done. So good.
Brandi says
YUM!! I had a can of mixed vegetables on hand & was running low on broth so I used equal parts chicken broth to vegetable broth from the can to this soup and oh my it turned out delicious! I will be making this again next weekend or maybe even tomorrow! Thank you!
Kristine says
I found your recipes one day while searching for a certain recipe and I’m so happy I did . I’ve made several of your recipes and every one of them have been great so I know longer have to search recipes I go straight to dinner at the zoo. I just wanted to thank you for making my life easier and making great food.
Tammy says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight & it was so good. My daughter loved it as well. Perfect on a cold night. I will make this again & again. Dinner at the zoo never disappoints. 🙂 Had to improvise on a couple ingredients to save myself from venturing out in nasty weather; canned tomato soup instead of tomato sauce, small shell pasta instead of potato & about a cup each of green beans & corn because we love our veggies. I’ll make as written when I’m not avoiding the outdoors 😉 but it is a very versatile recipe. Thank you for another delicious dinner.
Angelina Carter says
My family loved it! I cooked barley and added it to the soup and it made it “souper” filling 😂😂
Doreen says
Very good I loved it
Dennis says
My wife and I love this recipe verbatim. Very good. I vacuum seal and freeze what we don’t eat the first night and it tastes as good after two months in the freezer as it did the first night. Very good recipe. Thanks a ton. We have made it at least a dozen times and I am making tomorrow night.
Susie says
I cooked soup according to the recipe and it was very easy to follow along. The soup was quite delicious and I will be showing it off to family and friends. It was by far the best homemade soup I’ve ever made!! Thank you!!
Ivy says
This is the second time we tried this recipe and it never disappoints. My husband loves it a lot. Thank you for this recipe.