Hamburger Soup (2024)

This hearty hamburger soup is loaded with ground beef, potatoes and an assortment of vegetables, all in a savory broth. The perfect easy dinner option that the whole family will love!

When I’m looking for a one pot meal that I know will be a crowd pleaser, I turn to chili mac, chicken cacciatore or this simple yet satisfying hamburger soup.

Hamburger Soup Ingredients

To make hamburger soup, make sure you have olive oil, an onion, carrots, celery, ground beef, garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, beef broth, a potato, frozen corn, green beans, parsley, salt and black pepper.

How Do You Make Hamburger Soup?

This hamburger soup recipe starts with the classic base of onion, carrot and celery. Sautee the onion, carrot and celery in a little olive oil until softened in a large pot. After your veggies cook, the hamburger goes into the pot to brown. Break up the beef into crumbles. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Next add tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced potato, beef broth and herbs to the pot, then bring the whole thing to a boil and then let it simmer. After the potatoes soften, stir in some corn and green beans with some salt and pepper. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy!

Tips For The Perfect Soup

• I use 90% lean ground beef. It’s got plenty of flavor but doesn’t make the hamburger soup greasy. If you’re using beef with a higher fat content, drain off any excess fat after cooking the meat.
• I use fresh green beans, but you can absolutely use frozen if you prefer. The key is to add them at the end of the cooking time so that they don’t get mushy.
• While cooking your ground beef, make sure to break it up into bite sized pieces.
• Make sure to cut all of your vegetables into similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
• You can use store bought Italian seasoning or make your own Italian seasoning.
• Leftovers of this hamburger soup stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.

Hamburger Soup Variations

I love this recipe as-is, but you can absolutely add other ingredients into the mix to customize the soup to your tastes.

• Protein: Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey, mild Italian sausage or even cooked shredded chicken.
• Potatoes: Skip the Russet potatoes and use Yukon Gold potatoes, red potatoes or even sweet potatoes.
• Pasta: You can add short pasta like macaroni when the soup has about 10 minutes left to cook. If you add pasta, you will want to add some extra broth for the pasta to absorb.
• Vegetables: Try adding other veggies such as kale, butternut squash, bell peppers, spinach, zucchini or peas.
• Spicy: Add some heat with a little hot sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
• Cheese: You can top this soup with shredded cheddar cheese when serving the soup.

Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

This soup can be made in the slow cooker instead of on the stove top. Follow the first four steps of the recipe, then place the ground beef and vegetable mixture in a crock pot along with the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, potatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours. Stir in the frozen corn and green beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

This hamburger soup is hearty enough to stand on its own as a complete meal, but I often serve it with some crusty bread because it’s such a nice complement to the soup. I also serve this soup with cheesy pull apart bread or homemade dinner rolls.

What’s your favorite way to use hamburger meat? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Hamburger Soup Video