Hamburger Vegetable Soup ~ Easy + Healthy!
Hamburger Vegetable Soup is a hearty, wholesome soup brimming with lean ground beef, plenty of veggies, and loads of flavor for a complete meal in just one pot. And as a bonus, it's quick and easy to make!
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If you enjoy veggie-loaded soups, you'll also love Easy Minestrone Soup, Crock Pot Beef Stew, and Sausage, Kale, & White Bean Soup!
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, nourishing Hamburger Vegetable Soup.
There are so many veggies 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 Vegetable 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 Vegetable 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! There are lots of goodies in this soup, but they're common ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
- Lean ground beef. You may substitute ground turkey, if you wish.
- Garlic. As I always say...the more, the merrier!
- 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 wish.
- 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.
- 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. 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 tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce add such depth of flavor to this soup, taking it from good to great...so don't leave 'em out!
- 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.
But we're not done with the ingredient list quite yet!
There are a few herbs and spices that further boost the amazing flavor of this Hamburger Vegetable Soup:
- Dried Italian seasoning.
- Dried rosemary.
- Bay leaves.
- Garlic powder.
- Onion powder.
- Salt + pepper.
How to Make Hamburger Vegetable Soup
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!
- In a big pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and garlic, then drain.
- Stir in the beef broth, the vegetables, and the seasonings.
- 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.
- ENJOY!!!
Tweaking the Recipe
Part of what makes this Hamburger Vegetable Soup so great is that you can easily tweak it, depending on your preferences, favorite veggies, or simply based on what you happen to have on hand!
Feel free to leave out any of the veggies, or replace them with other items that you need to use up in your fridge or freezer. A few ideas...
- If you'd like to add a cup or two of diced onion, celery, and/or bell pepper, you can add 'em right after the ground beef is browned. Transfer the cooked ground beef to a plate and drain off all but a tablespoon of grease from the pot. Add the onion/celery/pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring regularly. Then add the cooked beef back to the pot and proceed with the recipe.
- You can replace some of the fresh or frozen veggies in this recipe with a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Or add additional fresh or frozen vegetables of your liking, such as broccoli or cauliflower florets, diced zucchini or squash, etc.
- Feel free to stir a can of rinsed, drained beans into your soup during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. White beans, black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans would all be great.
- Similarly, if you'd like to add pasta to your soup, you can stir 1 cup of small pasta (such as elbow macaroni) into your soup for the last 10-15 minutes of simmering. Just make sure it's tender before serving. Keep in mind that pasta will soak up some of the liquid in the soup, however, so be ready to add ½ to 1 cup of additional beef broth if the level gets too low.
- If you enjoy cooking with wine, you can replace ½ to 1 cup of the beef broth for red wine (at the beginning of the recipe).
Ways to Enjoy Hamburger Vegetable Soup
This soup truly is a meal in and of itself.
Sometimes I serve it with a side salad. But to be honest, it's already loaded with so much veggie goodness that I typically don't bother!
Instead, I'm more likely to serve it with homemade cornbread (or even jazzed-up cornbread!), warm dinner rolls, or a thick slice of simple buttered bread.
Freezing this Soup
Whether you have leftovers or you made a double batch in order to save time later, this Hamburger Vegetable Soup freezes beautifully!
- First, you'll want to make sure it's completely cool.
- Then transfer it to freezer-safe containers (or freezer-thickness plastic bags, pressing out any air before sealing).
- Freeze for up to three months.
- When you're ready to enjoy it, thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave. Or pour the thawed soup into a pot and set over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
I'm telling you, friends, this recipe is a big ol' pot of comfort!
Hamburger Vegetable 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.
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. 🙂
More Hearty Soups
- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup
- King Ranch Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot German Lentil Soup
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
Hamburger Vegetable Soup ~ Easy & Healthy!
Video
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 diced (or petite-diced) tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ 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 garlic 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. Store leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- If you'd like to add 1 to 2 cups of diced onion, celery, and/or bell pepper, you can add them right after the ground beef is browned. Transfer the cooked ground beef to a plate then drain off all but a tablespoon of grease from the pot and add the onion/celery/pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring regularly, before adding back the cooked beef and proceeding with the recipe.
- 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.
- I recommend fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra flavor. Or you may use crushed tomatoes in place of diced or petite diced.
- If you wish, you can stir a can of rinsed, drained beans into your soup during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time (such as white beans, black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans). This can be in place of or in addition to some of the veggies.
- Similarly, if you'd like to add pasta to your Hamburger Vegetable Soup, you can stir 1 cup of small pasta (such as elbow macaroni) into your soup for the final 10-15 minutes of simmering. Just make sure it's tender before serving. Keep in mind that pasta will soak up some of the liquid in the soup, however, so be ready to add ½ to 1 cup of additional beef broth if the level gets too low.
- To freeze this soup, cool it completely and then transfer it to freezer-safe containers (or freezer-thickness plastic bags, pressing out any air before sealing). Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat individual servings in the microwave, or pour the thawed soup into a pot and set over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Nutrition
Originally published on February 4, 2020, and updated on February 10, 2022.
This EASY hamburger vegetable soup was hearty, simple, and packed with flavor! LOVED this recipe, the ultimate comfort food.
Wonderfully hearty! Love all the variety of vegetables. <3 Such great flavors! Perfect for these cool evenings lately!
This hamburger vegetable soup turned out to be amazing!! So easy and full of so much flavor. Even my kiddos are gobbling it up as we speak! Thank you!
Yum! This looks so tasty. I'm going to have to add this to our menu for next week. Thank you for sharing!
Such a wonderful, comforting soup for the season! I love the addition of all those vegetables. So perfect for the family and one pot too!
This was a huge hit with my family. My son and husband- both picky- had seconds! We used ground turkey instead of ground beef. I just added the worchester sauce when I was sauteing the ground turkey and it pumped up the flavor. Thanks so much for this recipe!