Hamburger soup combines hearty ground beef with onion, celery, potatoes, and mixed vegetables in a tasty tomato-based broth! This easy-to-make one-pot dinner is a classic comfort food recipe that is always satisfying! Plus, the leftovers taste even better the next day once all the flavors have melded together!
Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe
We’re heading into fall now, and the weather is definitely changing. I love the changing leaves and the increasing desire to cozy up with a blanket and a good book. I also love that it's now officially soup weather!
This amazing hamburger soup is exactly what you need in the midst of dropping temperatures and shorter days. It’s full of rich and flavorful broth that's combined with deliciously spiced beef. Add in loads of good-for-you veggies and you have a soup that is as amazing the next day as it is when freshly made!
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❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s hearty! There’s nothing better than a big bowl of this filling hamburger soup on a cold day. The tasty broth is studded with plenty of vegetables and delicious ground beef!
- It’s budget-friendly! There’s no need to break the bank for this tasty dinner.
- It makes great leftovers! You’ll love being able to heat this hamburger soup up for a quick lunch the next day.
🥘 Hamburger Soup Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
There are a few things on this list, but when the weather gets cooler, all of these ingredients will come in handy for soup season! Plus, they're the basics of so many different hearty meals.
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- White Onion - Part of the base flavor. Use either 1 diced white or yellow onion.
- Celery Ribs - 2 ribs of freshly sliced celery add tons of great flavor! You could also use a celery substitute.
- Ground Beef - 1 pound of ground beef. I use lean ground beef or ground chuck for this.
- Salt & Pepper - 1½ teaspoons of salt and pepper, the staple pair of spices for seasoning. Adjust as needed to taste.
- Parsley - 1 teaspoon of parsley, Dry or fresh will do, but remember to use more when using fresh parsley. A parsley substitute will work in a pinch.
- Dried Oregano - ½ teaspoon of dried oregano. You could also try an oregano substitute.
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika or smoked paprika for a smokey flavor.
- Diced Tomatoes - 28 ounces of diced tomatoes. I love fire-roasted diced tomatoes for all of my soups! Yum!
- Tomato Paste - 2 tablespoons of tomato paste adds a rich tomato flavor to this amazing soup!
- Beef Broth - 4 cups of beef broth or stock. You can also use beef bouillon cubes - dissolve either 1 cube or 1 teaspoon of granules in 1 cup of water to replace each cup of broth. Try adding a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon to really 'beef up' your soup flavor too!
- Potatoes - 1½ pounds of baby yellow potatoes, washed and halved - or quartered if larger (to keep the size relatively the same). Other potatoes, like russets, Yukon Gold, yellow potatoes, or white potatoes, can also be used.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables - 24 ounces of frozen mixed vegetables. It’s an easy way to get all of your vegetables without all the cleaning and chopping!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Hamburger Soup
With only a few easy steps, this is a great soup to make for a weeknight dinner. You are going to need a large stockpot or Dutch oven, a sharp knife and cutting board, your measuring utensils, and a spatula.
One pot of this soup makes 8 hearty servings, so there are usually plenty of leftovers!
- Saute the onion and celery. Heat 1 tablespoon (14.79 milliliters) of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. When the oil is shimmering, add 1 diced medium white onion and 2 ribs of fresh celery diced into small pieces. Saute them until the onion is translucent and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Brown the beef. Break up 1 pound (453.59 grams) of ground beef into the pot (photo 2), mixing it with the onion and celery for flavor. Brown the meat for 6-8 minutes; it should be completely browned. Separate any big hunks into smaller pieces.
- Seasoning. Add 1 ½ teaspoons (9 grams) of salt, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon (0.1 gram) of dried parsley, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of paprika, and ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of dried oregano. Combine it thoroughly with the meat mixture.
- Add tomatoes. Next, pour 28 ounces (793.79 grams) of canned, undrained, diced tomatoes into the pot. Drop 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of tomato paste in as well before stirring it all together.
- Add the broth and potatoes. Stir 4 cups (946.35 milliliters) of beef broth and 1 ½ pounds (680.39 grams) of cut potatoes into the pot and bring it all to a boil. When the soup reaches a full rolling boil, reduce the heat, and cover your stockpot with the lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and finish. When your timer goes off, add 24 ounces (680.39 grams) of frozen mixed vegetables. Mix them in and return the lid to the pot. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes, and test the vegetables for doneness. When they are tender, shut off the heat and serve.
🥣 What To Serve With Hamburger Soup
This soup makes an excellent lunch or dinner any day of the year! Serve your hamburger soup with a simple green garden salad or crusty, rustic bread. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Frozen mixed vegetables can be purchased from the freezer section of almost any grocery store. They come with various vegetables but most often include peas, carrots, corn, and green beans.
- Chopped cabbage, diced zucchini, carrots - anything lying around will be a great addition. Try to make your vegetables similar in size. They will cook more evenly, and you won’t have some pieces under-cooked while others are mushy.
- You can add vegetables when sauteing the onions or even add leftover roasted vegetables at the end of the cooking time (enough to warm them before serving).
- Beans also add a boost. Any kind will work, but I like red kidney beans, navy beans, Great Northern beans, or chickpeas.
- Try swapping out the potatoes for pasta or rice! Just add an extra cup of broth or water to compensate for the liquid it will absorb.
- You can also swap out ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken! They're both tasty too!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Extra soup can be transferred to airtight storage containers and put in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing Hamburger Soup
Leftovers can be frozen but must first be cooled down to room temperature. When cool, store in freezer bags or an airtight freezer storage container.
Be sure to leave 1 inch of space between the soup and your container lid for expansion. Frozen, leftover hamburger soup is best if eaten within 2-3 months.
Place frozen portions in the refrigerator to thaw overnight before reheating.
Reheating Hamburger Soup
To reheat, just add thawed frozen soup or refrigerated soup to a pot and heat over medium-low heat until it’s thoroughly heated.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
I recommend beef broth in order to match the meat you’re adding, but chicken will also be delicious in a pinch. I use chicken broth for tons of recipes, so I always have some in my pantry.
If you prefer a thicker base, reserve a cup of the broth and whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Then, whisk the flour mixture into the pot. It should thicken a bit over the next few minutes.
Definitely! While it can only be called hamburger soup if it’s made with hamburger, ground turkey or Italian sausage would also be good. Shredded chicken would also be delicious. For the latter, cook it with the onions and celery as you would with beef, but take it out and pull it apart before adding the other ingredients. Then resume with the regular instructions.
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📖 Recipe Card
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 medium white onion (or yellow onion, diced)
- 2 ribs celery (sliced)
- 1 lb ground beef (lean ground beef or ground chuck)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 28 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ lbs potatoes (baby yellow potatoes, washed and halved or quartered - or use 2 to 3 russet or yellow potatoes, washed and sliced)
- 24 oz frozen mixed vegetables (2 12-ounce packages)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot or Dutch oven to medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the diced onion and celery. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is tender, translucent, and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and brown, stirring into the sauteed onion and celery. Cook for 6-8 minutes until completely browned, breaking apart the ground beef as it cooks.
- Add the seasoning (including salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, parsley, paprika, and oregano) and stir into the ground beef. Then add the diced tomatoes and juice, as well as the tomato paste, and give the soup a quick stir before adding the beef broth.
- Pour in the beef broth and add the cut baby potatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables, stir, cover, and continue to simmer an additional 10-15 minutes. Once the vegetables are all tender, remove from heat and serve.
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