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    Home » Recipes » Game Day Recipes

    Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe

    Published: Jan 26, 2023 · Modified: Feb 4, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    137 shares
    • Facebook44
    • Yummly
    5 from 38 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for hamburger soup.

    Packed with hearty vegetables and lean ground beef in a rich and flavorful tomato broth, my Easy Hamburger Soup is a delicious and easy-to-make soup that the whole family will love. Perfect for a weeknight meal or game day.

    overhead view of hamburger soup in a white bowl

    My grandmother used to call this hearty hamburger soup a Poor Man’s Soup. That was because it used ground beef, which, believe it or not, used to be inexpensive. Over the years, I’ve made this many different ways, with vegetables I had on hand and different kinds of pasta, rice and grains.

    You can swap out the pasta for potatoes, using russet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes or red bliss potatoes, your choice.

    close up of hamburger soup in a white bowl

    It’s easy to customize this soup to fit your family’s taste preferences and use what you have on hand. I love adding half Italian sausage meat instead of all ground beef when I make this soup. Sometimes I use chicken broth instead of beef broth, and if you don’t have diced tomatoes, use tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce) or tomato puree.

    No matter how you make this easy hamburger soup, your family is going to love it. Serve it with crusty bread for dipping and they’ll be in heaven!

    Ingredients to make Hamburger Soup

    Ingredients to make Hamburger Soup

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Hamburger Soup. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Simple pantry ingredients and fresh vegetables

    • lean ground beef 
    • onion 
    • celery 
    • carrots 
    • garlic 
    • beef broth 
    • diced tomatoes with juice
    • tomato paste
    • dried oregano
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • elbow macaroni – optional
    • frozen peas
    • salt and black pepper to taste
    • fresh parsley 

    How to make Hamburger Soup

    collage showing how to make recipe
    • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the pot and stir until browned. When the ground beef is browned, turn off the heat and remove the ground beef from the pot. Set aside until needed.
    • Add the diced carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the pot with additional olive oil if needed.
    • Saute the veggies over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth to the pot. Mix well and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

    You could add a little red pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat in the soup. You can also use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand.

    collage showing how to finish making the recipe.
    • Add the ground beef back into the pot, along with any juice or fat that was released by the beef. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
    • Add the elbow macaroni to the pot and mix well. Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat.
    • Add the peas and chopped fresh parsley to the pot.
    • Mix well and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the soup has reached the temperature of 165 degrees F.
    hamburger soup in a white bowl

    Serve the soup with a loaf of crusty bread, a green salad, and one of my favorite old-fashioned desserts like rice pudding. It’s the perfect meal for a chilly night, or for that matter, any night.

    This tomato beef soup recipe is one of my favorite comfort foods.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Can I make hamburger soup in a crock pot?

    You sure can. Give the beef and vegetables a quick saute, then add the remainder of the ingredients (except pasta and peas) to the crockpot and let it simmer for an hour. During the last 15 minutes, add the pasta. Add the peas and parsley right before serving.

    What is Cowboy Soup?

    This one-pot hamburger vegetable soup has also been called “cowboy soup.” The cowboy version also contains beans.

    Can you freeze the soup?

    If you have any leftover soup, it can be frozen in airtight freezer-safe containers and can remain frozen for up to 3 months.

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    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    overhead view of hamburger soup in a white bowl
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    5 from 38 votes

    Easy Hamburger Soup

    Packed with vegetables and lean ground beef in a rich and flavorful tomato broth, my Easy Hamburger Soup is a great way to fill your families bellies with a delicious, easy to make soup.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 247kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 2 pound lean ground beef or 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb sweet italian sausage
    • 2 cups onion diced
    • 2 cups celery diced
    • 2 cups carrots diced – I used rainbow carrots
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 6 – 8 cups beef broth more or less beef broth depending upon how thick you like the soup
    • 28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
    • 3 tbsp tomato paste
    • 2 tsp dried oregano
    • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 cup elbow macaroni – optional. You can use pasta, rice or grain of your choice.
    • 1 cup peas frozen is preferable
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped – same some for garnish
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the pot and stir until browned. When the ground beef is browned, turn off the heat and remove the ground beef from the pot. Set aside until needed.
    • Add the diced carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the pot with additional olive oil if needed. Saute the veggies over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, worcestershire sauce, and beef broth to the pot. Mix well and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
      You could add a little red pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat in the soup. You can also use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand.
    • Add the ground beef back into the pot, along with any juice or fat that was released by the beef. Mix well.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
    • Add the elbow macaroni to the pot and mix well. Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes over medium low heat.
    • Add the peas and chopped fresh parsley to the pot. Mix well and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the soup has reached the temperature of 165 degrees F.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 828mg | Potassium: 875mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4688IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Kushigalu

      February 19, 2023 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Love the combination of flavors in this soup recipe. It was fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    2. Veronika

      February 19, 2023 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      This soup was just what we needed in this cold weather! It was really flavorful, filling, and so comforting!

      Reply
    3. Tammy

      February 17, 2023 at 12:13 pm

      I love how this soup has a little bit of everything in it. It sounds and looks amazing, Dennis! Definitely a perfect day here for this too! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

      Reply
    4. Kathryn

      February 16, 2023 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      We all devoured this soup! It was hearty, easy to make and delicious! Topped it with lots of cheese and can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    5. Cathleen

      February 15, 2023 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is perfect! My new go-to. Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s a keeper for sure 🙂

      Reply
    6. megane

      February 15, 2023 at 4:58 pm

      5 stars
      My kind of soup. Simple, tasty and cheap to make.

      Reply
    7. Christy

      February 15, 2023 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      My kids love this hamburger soup and I’m so thankful that I’ve found another nutritious dinner for the rotation!

      Reply
    8. Bernice

      February 14, 2023 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the blast from the past! I grew up on hamburger soup and this is exactly how my mom made it. It was delicious!

      Reply
    9. Colleen

      February 14, 2023 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      I swapped the pasta for rice because of gluten and this soup turned out so good. It’s a new family favorite.

      Reply
    10. Sharon

      February 14, 2023 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      This hamburger soup was the perfect combination of easy to make and easy on a budget.

      Reply
    11. Pat

      January 28, 2023 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      I made this soup and can’t wait to eat it and share some with a neighbor who recently had surgery. Nutritious and delicious! Thank you.

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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