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Hamburger soup is packed with ground beef, an assortment of vegetables, diced tomatoes, and simmered in a flavorful broth. It’s a hearty one pot dinner that’s perfect for the colder months!
Looking for a similar soup that doesn’t use ground beef? Try this ground turkey and vegetable soup! If you’re craving a creamy version of this soup, try my cheeseburger soup!
Why you’ll love it
Hearty and healthy soup – This loaded soup is filled with lean ground beef, an assortment of vegetables, and a flavorful broth. It’s wonderful to make on a cold day when you’re craving a cozy meal.
Freezer meal – Hamburger soup is a soup that freezes well. I like to make a pot of it and freeze half and save it for a night when I don’t feel like cooking.
One pot dinner – I’m all about one pot dinners! Less mess to clean up and the cooking process tends to be faster. This is a soup that cooks on the stovetop, which is great if you’re someone who doesn’t own a slow cooker or instant pot.
What is hamburger soup?
Hamburger soup gets it’s name from the ground beef in the soup, which is sometimes referred to as hamburger meat. It’s a hearty beef and vegetable soup that’s incredibly easy to make.
This soup is not to be confused with having the actually ingredients or flavors of a hamburger. Sorry no mustard or ketchup to be found in here!
The ingredients
- Onion, celery, carrots – Often referred to as mirepoix. Along with garlic they are the aromatics for the soup and give the broth lots of flavor.
- Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are what I recommend for this soup. They have a creamier texture than russet potatoes, you don’t have to peel them, and they have a naturally buttery flavor.
- Ground beef – It’s best to use 90% lean ground beef for this recipe so the soup doesn’t come out too oily.
- Tomato paste – Give the soup a rich tomato-y flavor.
- Diced tomatoes – If you don’t like big chunks of tomatoes, use petite diced tomatoes instead.
- Italian seasoning – A blend of Italian herbs including oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, and marjoram.
- Beef broth – I recommend using low sodium broths so that you don’t risk having your soup turn out too salty.
- Peas – I love the sweet little pop of flavor that they add to the soup.
How to make hamburger soup
Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in a little olive oil until they’re tender. Add in the ground beef and crumble it. Season everything with salt and pepper, the Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if you’re using them. Let the beef cook until it’s no longer pink. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste until it’s incorporated. Add in the potatoes, diced tomatoes and beef broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Bring the soup to a boil and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the peas and serve. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley if desired.
Variations and pro tip
- For extra flavor, throw in a parmesan cheese rind while the soup cooks. It adds a cheesy, salty element that enhances the flavor of the soup.
- Use different vegetables such as bell pepper, corn, or green beans.
- In a hurry? Use frozen mixed vegetables and skip the chopping.
- If you don’t want to use beef, ground bison or chicken would be great alternatives. Of course then the soup won’t truly be hamburger soup.
Storage and reheating
The leftover hamburger soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. To reheat the leftovers, you can either heat the soup in the microwave or heat them on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
This is a great soup to freeze. Let the soup cool completely and then transfer it to a freezer safe container. The soup will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight before following the reheating instructions listed above.
More easy soup recipes
Did you make this hamburger soup? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes diced
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until they're tender. Add in the ground beef and use a wooden spoon or spatula to crumble it. Season with the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. When the beef is cooked, stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir the tomato paste in with the vegetables. Add in the potatoes, diced tomatoes, parmesan cheese rind if using one, and beef broth. Stir together and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the peas. Serve the soup garnished with chopped flat leaf parsley if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
