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!

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!

1. In a big pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and garlic, then drain.
2. Stir in the beef broth, the vegetables, and the seasonings.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the corn and green beans and continue to cook until all of the vegetables are tender.

5. Just before serving, stir in the peas, allow to heat through, and adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper.

6. 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!

1. First, you'll want to make sure it's completely cool.
2. Then transfer it to freezer-safe containers (or freezer-thickness plastic bags, pressing out any air before sealing).
3. Freeze for up to three months.
4. When you're ready to enjoy it, thaw overnight in the fridge.
5. 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
• Sausage, Kale, & White Bean Soup
• King Ranch Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot German Lentil Soup

Originally published on February 4, 2020, and updated on February 10, 2022.