Hamburger Soup is packed with tender ground beef, veggies, and potatoes with a savory tomato based broth. A quick dinner you will make on repeat!
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Hamburger Soup Recipe
There is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup that is packed with flavor. Hamburger soup is a perfect quick meal as it is made with ground beef. So you don’t have to spend any extra time in the kitchen simmering beef to make a tender beef stew. This soup has all the great flavors of a hearty stew but is made in a flash!
We make this soup often throughout the year when we are craving a hearty and soothing bowl of soup. Made with pantry staple ingredients this is sure to become a family favorite for you and your family.
What is Hamburger Soup?
Hamburger soup is similar to beef stew but instead of using chunks of beef (ex. stewing beef cubes), ground beef is used. This makes the recipe quicker to cook and more cost effective. The soup broth is a combination of beef broth and canned tomatoes. It has a rich and savory flavor without needing to be simmered stove top for hours like a traditional stew.
This soup is packed with vegetables and potatoes. For the quickest recipe I love to use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrot and green beans) but you can also use any veggies you have on hand. This is a great way to use up the last few veggies in the fridge to clear out the fridge. Potatoes add a heartiness to the soup and they soak up all the great flavors of the broth.
Serve the soup with a nice crusty bread, baguette or buns to dip in the broth. Leftovers are even better the next day as the flavors have had even more time to develop overnight!
What to Serve with Hamburger Soup
- Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Jalapeno Popper Pull Apart Garlic Bread
- Dill Pickle Chopped Salad
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad
- Pear Fennel Arugula Salad
What is in Hamburger Soup?
- Hamburger (Ground Beef) – we recommend using lean ground beef for this recipe but you can also use medium just be sure to drain the excess fat after cooking the beef. For a healthier recipe you can swap the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
- Beef Broth – store bought or homemade can be used. For added nutrients you can even use beef bone broth!
- Diced Tomatoes – canned diced or crushed tomatoes can be used. If you prefer to have chunks of tomato in the soup use diced or if you prefer to have a smooth broth use crushed tomatoes.
- Frozen Veggies – for the quickest recipe use a bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn, green beans). You can also use any fresh veggies you have on hand and dice them into small bite sized pieces (great way to use the last carrot or any other veggies you have in the fridge!)
- Potatoes – peeled and cubed potatoes are simmered into the soup. They soak up all the great flavor of the broth.
- Tomato Paste – adds a rich tomato flavor to the broth and thickens the broth.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Spices
- Bay Leaf
- Italian Seasoning – this is a store bought spice mix of dried oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary and sometimes marjoram. You can use the mix or follow the recipe which has measurements for each individual spice.
- Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Hamburger Soup
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
1 In a pot over medium heat cook ground beef, stirring until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if necessary.
2 Add in the onion and garlic and continue stirring until onions are translucent.
3 Add the tomato paste and stir until evenly combined.
4 Add in the broth, canned tomatoes, potatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
5 Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer the soup for 15 to 20 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender tender.
6 Stir in vegetables. Remove bay leaf. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until veggies are tender.
7 Serve garnished with fresh parsley and with a crusty bread to dip. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Hamburger Soup
- Veggies – We like to use frozen vegetables to make this recipe super easy and quick. You can use any fresh veggies you have on hand making this recipe a great way to use up any leftover veggies in you may have in your fridge. For example, carrots, celery, peas, beans, zucchini, and even cabbage are all delicious in this soup.
- Beef – we recommend lean ground beef but if you prefer to use medium or regular just be sure to drain the excess fat after cooking the beef. For a healthier recipe you can swap the ground beef out for ground turkey or chicken.
- Thickness – if you prefer a thicker soup, you can add more tomato paste. You can also make a corn starch slurry with 3 tbsp water and 1 tbsp corn starch. Add it into the soup while it’s boiling to thicken the soup.
FAQs Hamburger Soup
Reheat a serving stove top on medium heat until warmed through or in the microwave. To reheat from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge, or just warm the soup straight from the freezer in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or frozen for up to three months.
Yes this soup can be made ahead. Note that the potatoes will continue to absorb liquid so the soup may get thicker. You can add a bit of water or more broth to thin out the soup when reheating.
Yes, you can freeze it. Note that the potatoes will soften up more but it’s still delicious. Store in an airtight container leaving at least 3/4-inch at top for expansion. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat.
Use a plant-based meat alternative and substitute broth for vegetable broth.
This recipe is gluten free.
This soup is dairy free.
More Soups You Will Love!
Enjoy!
– Sab
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ground beef, lean
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes, with juices
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, or 1 tsp each dried oregano, basil, parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups mixed vegetables, frozen or fresh
Garnish (Optional)
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat cook ground beef, stirring until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Add in the onion and garlic and continue stirring until onions are translucent.
- Add the tomato paste and stir until evenly combined.
- Add in the broth, canned tomatoes, potatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer the soup for 15 to 20 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender tender.
- Stir in vegetables. Remove bay leaf. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley and with a crusty bread to dip. Enjoy!
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