Hamburger Soup is a hearty, wholesome soup brimming with lean ground beef, plenty of vegetables, and loads of flavor for a complete meal in just one pot. And as a bonus, it’s quick and easy to make!
One of my favorite things to make for dinner all fall and winter long is SOUP. I just love that it’s a cozy and comforting meal for warming up on a chilly day. And, one of the best parts…it’s often a complete meal made in just one pot! That’s certainly the case with today’s yummy, chunky, veggie-loaded Hamburger Soup.
There are so many veggies, in fact, that this is actually what I would consider a Vegetable Beef Soup. But since the recipe is made with ground beef as opposed to tender chunks of beef, “Hamburger Soup” seems a more appropriate moniker. Tomato, to-mah-to. At any rate, let’s break down all of the goodness within, shall we?
Ingredients
Hamburger Soup may be simple and classic, ’tis true. But this version’s particular combo of ingredients and depth of flavor make it anything but boring!
- Lean ground beef. You can substitute ground turkey, if you wish.
- Garlic. Garlic lends plenty of punch, but if you like, you could also toss in a diced onion at the same time you’re browning the meat.
- Mushrooms. I typically use frozen sliced mushrooms when I make this soup since I always keep a bag in the freezer. However, you may certainly use fresh mushrooms instead, if you have some on hand. To make that swap, simply sauté fresh sliced mushrooms in some extra-virgin olive oil as a first step in the recipe. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Then remove the cooked mushrooms to a plate, add the ground beef to the same pot, and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Potatoes. You may use red, gold, or russet potatoes. I prefer to peel my potatoes, but you may opt to leave them unpeeled if using thin-skinned red or gold potatoes. And I like to dice my potatoes into bite-sized pieces…you know, a size that’ll fit on a spoon along with additional soup goodies. 😉
- Carrots. To save peeling and chopping time and energy, I usually rely on a bag of shredded or julienned carrots from the produce section. But you can slice or dice whole carrots (or toss in tiny baby carrots) if you prefer.
- Diced tomatoes. I prefer to use fire-roasted tomatoes (from a BPA-free can) for extra flavor. And I usually go with petite diced (as opposed to regular diced) if available, since my kids aren’t fond of huge chunks of tomatoes in their soup. Along those same lines, you may use crushed tomatoes instead of diced if you’d like to avoid chunky tomatoes altogether.
- Beef broth. Feel free to use homemade broth or stock (if you’re lucky enough to have a stash!), good-quality broth or stock from a carton, or even water plus Better than Bouillon Beef Base (*affiliate link). Whichever you choose, I recommend going with low-sodium in order to control the saltiness of your soup. You can always add more salt later.
- Flavor boosters! Small additions of these ingredients add such depth of flavor to this soup, taking it from good to great…so don’t leave ’em out! Tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper are a killer combo in this recipe.
- Frozen corn, green beans, and peas. These vegetables get added to the soup recipe towards the end of the cooking time since they’re already pre-cooked and don’t need as long to finishing cooking/heat through.
As for the steps in making this recipe? Easy-peasy. In less than 45 (mostly hands-off!) minutes, you can have a complete dinner…in a bowl!
How to Make Hamburger Soup
- In a big pot or Dutch oven, brown and drain the ground beef and garlic.
- Pour in the beef broth. Stir in the mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the corn and green beans and continue to cook until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Just before serving, stir in the peas, allow to heat through, and adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper.
I’m telling you, friends, this recipe is a big ol’ pot of comfort! Hamburger Soup makes a wonderful lunch or dinner on a cold or dreary day. It makes a big enough batch that I usually share some with my mom and still have a few leftover servings to pop in the freezer. It’s great just as it is, but even better soaked up with tender cornbread or crusty French bread. And have I mentioned that it’s delicious?
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already looking forward to crisp spring days and the sunny days of summer. But I suppose winter can hang around just a litttttle bit longer if that means extra time to enjoy tasty, hearty soups like this one. 😉
Hamburger Soup Recipe
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 8 to 10 ounces frozen sliced mushrooms
- 1 pound (about 2 large) potatoes (russet, red, or gold), peeled & diced
- 2 cups shredded OR diced carrots
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Stir in the garli until fragrant. Drain and discard the fat.
- Pour the broth into the pot, turn the heat to high, and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Add the mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and then cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the corn and the green beans. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Just before serving, stir in the peas and allow them to heat through. Adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and serve hot.
Notes
- If you wish, you can add (and cook) a diced onion at the same time as the ground beef.
- You may substitute fresh sliced mushrooms for the frozen ones. To make that swap, as the first step in the recipe, simply sauté fresh mushrooms in a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Then remove the cooked mushrooms to a plate, add the ground beef to the same pot, and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- You may use crushed tomatoes in place of diced or petite diced.
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