How long it takes: about 1½ hours Equipment you’ll need: large pan or Dutch oven Servings: 8 You’ll want to get a pot of hamburger soup simmering on your stove today. The rich aroma will fill your home and have your family asking, “When’s dinner going to be ready?” Serve this homey soup with fresh bread, warm cornbread muffins, homemade naan, or homemade Parker House rolls. Show someone you care by showing up with a pan (or resealable container) of hamburger soup. It’s perfect for that family with a new baby, someone who’s recovering from surgery, or a neighbor who needs a little love. Pretty much everyone likes it and it reheats well.
How To Make Hamburger Soup
Get ready. This soup is seriously easy to make. You’ll need a sharp knife, a cutting board, and a Dutch oven or soup pan. It will take about fifteen minutes to get the soup going, and about an hour to simmer the soup. Prep the veggies. Wash, peel, and chop the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. You’re on your way to delicious soup. Sauté the meat and veggies. Brown a pound of ground beef in the pan, breaking up large clumps. Drain the beef if there’s lots of grease. Put the onions, celery, and carrots in the pan with the beef, and cook until they start to soften up. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and stir it around for one more minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the broth, add a can of tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, and a cup of water. Stir well. Simmer. Bring the hamburger soup to a boil, turn down the heat, and let it simmer until the vegetables are nice and tender. Give the soup a stir now and then just to make sure everything’s okay. When it’s time to eat, stir in the parsley, test the seasoning, and holler out, “Soup’s on!”
Slow Cooker Instructions
It’s easy to adapt this recipe for your slow cooker. Simply brown the hamburger in a skillet, and add it to your crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients (except the parsley). Cover, and cook on High for four hours, or on Low for eight hours, or until you’re ready for dinner. Add parsley immediately before serving.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Refrigerate: Hamburger soup is great leftover! I do a happy dance when I can look forward to a nice bowl of soup for lunch the next day. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
Use any type of ground meat: turkey, sausage, lamb, pork, venison, or ground sausage. If the meat has a lot of fat, drain it after browning. Add cheese. Garnish each serving with shredded cheese. Or try this chunky cheeseburger soup. You’ll love it! Potato substitutes: Make your hamburger soup with macaroni or with barley instead of potatoes. The macaroni/barley will absorb some of the liquid so you’ll end up with a thicker soup, or you can add more broth if you want. You may want to try my beef barley soup, with tender chunks of beef. Another option is to substitute sweet potatoes for the regular potatoes. Bulk up the veggie count with cabbage, spinach, or kale, chopped or shredded. Or stir in frozen peas or corn right before serving. Low carb/keto: Omit the potatoes and carrots. Add mushrooms, browning them with the ground beef, and add spinach, kale, or chard. Not a fan of soup? Try homemade Hamburger Helper or American goulash, both one pan meals. We really love these oven-baked porcupine meatballs, too.
Reheat: Put soup into microwave safe bowls and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed though, stirring each time. Larger portions can be reheated on the stovetop over medium low heat. Unfortunately, this soup does not freeze well because the potatoes have an unappetizing texture when thawed. Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #12 or Meal Plan #81. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week! We add a new meal plan weekly.
