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This hamburger soup recipe is a simple and hearty meal made with ground beef, potatoes, and a delicious tomato broth. It’s a budget friendly complete meal that makes excellent leftovers!
You may also like my Hamburger Orzo Soup or Hamburger Stew recipe.
Why you’ll love it
Hamburger soup is one of those classic American comfort food dishes that’s easy to like and friendly on your wallet! You can’t go wrong with this cozy soup that has ground beef, potatoes, and a tomato broth that’s big on flavor.
The best part of this soup is how easy to make it is. It’s also full of inexpensive ingredients, and it’s an extremely versatile and flexible recipe. You can simply toss in whatever veggies you have on hand that need using up, and it’ll taste great.
What is hamburger soup?
- As for the name, it’s called hamburger soup because of the ground beef, which is sometimes referred to as hamburger meat. This soup doesn’t actually taste like hamburgers, and it’s essentially a satisfying and simple ground beef soup. It’s sort of like a quick and easy alternative to Beef Stew.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil, onions, and celery – sautéing these essentials creates the perfect base for this hearty soup
- Garlic – savory goodness
- Ground beef – adding protein makes this soup a complete meal. I like to use lean ground beef so that none/very little fat needs to be discarded during cooking
- Tomato paste and diced tomatoes – using both varieties gives the soup great texture and taste, and tomatoes are a classic complement to ground beef
- Beef broth – another layer of flavor
- Potatoes – Russets are my choice, but in a pinch yellow or red will be fine
- Italian seasoning – it’s a dried herb blend that comes in a single jar for ease
Pro tip
A 32 oz carton of beef broth equals 4 cups. Just pour the entire thing in for this recipe!
How to make hamburger soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large soup pot, sauté the onions and celery in olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic, and brown the ground beef.
Add in the tomato paste followed by the diced tomatoes, broth, potatoes, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then let bubble gently until cooked through.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the Dutch oven I use to make my soup recipes.
- A garlic press makes mincing the garlic effortless (no peeling cloves!), and chop up the potatoes and celery quickly with a quality chef’s knife.
- Break up the ground beef with a spoon or meat chopper.
Substitutions and variations
- If you don’t like having pieces of tomato in your soup, use petite diced tomatoes or sub the diced tomatoes for tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, and then add more broth or water to thin if needed.
- You can throw in any vegetables from your fridge, or you can use frozen chopped mixed vegetables (for example, corn, green beans, carrots, or peas). A handful of spinach added when the soup is nearly done cooking would be terrific!
Helpful tips
- I used Russet potatoes, but feel free to sub with a different kind. I really like using Russets in soups because they fall apart easily since they’re a starchy variety.
- I use lean ground beef (use up to 95% lean if you like), so I don’t find it necessary to discard any of the fat. This saves a bit of work, and the little bit of fat that’s left over gives the soup a flavor boost! You can drain the fat if you want. I certainly recommend draining some out if you use regular ground beef, or the soup will end up oily.
- Depending on what kind of tomatoes you use, your soup could be less vibrant than the photos. That’s totally ok!
Leftovers and storage
- This hamburger soup makes fantastic leftovers, and they’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- For best results, heat up in a saucepan slowly over a low heat.
- It also freezes well. Consume within 3 months of freezing for best results.
More soups with ground beef
Do you like hamburger soup? Will you give this recipe a try? Let me know in the comments below if you made it! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Easy Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, onion, and celery to a large soup pot. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, followed by the beef. Cook until the beef has just browned, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). You shouldn't need to drain much fat if you're using lean ground beef, but feel free to drain some/most of it if desired.
- Stir in the tomato paste, then add in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, potatoes, and Italian seasoning.
- Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit so it’s gently boiling. Cook for 20-25 minutes. You can cook it a little bit longer to intensify the flavor if you wish.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- Serves 4-6.
- Anything from about 1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef will work.
- Got an electric pressure cooker? Try the Instant Pot version of this recipe.
- You can also find this recipe in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on January 30, 2019. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Can i use crushed tomatoes or tomatoe soup instead of tomato paste?
Sure! I think the crushed tomatoes would work. The tomato soup may change flavors a bit but should be fine if that’s all you’ve got. Enjoy!
Crushed tomatoes work just fine. We are making batch #2 tonight. We are adding more potatoes, and I add fish sauce to enhance the umami. Last time we had beef stock on hand and didn’t think it was beefy enough. Added the stock and viola! Fantastic soup!
Excellent!!
Do u have to use italian seasoning?a
No… but then I would probably add some herbs/spices to give it more flavor.
I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I added Smoked Paprika and used The “No Salt” in place of regular salt. It came out perfectly and my our family absolutely loves it!!! 😊
Excellent!! So glad to hear it, Patti! 🙂
This was delicious! I didn’t have tomato paste, so I used a can of tomato sauce. When I plated it, I put a few cubes of Velveeta in the bottom of each bowl. It melted nicely and added creaminess
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!
Making it right now! Smells and looks so good! My family can’t wait for dinner time! Serving it with garlic toasted hamburger buns! Thanks for the yumminess!
You’re very welcome, Amy!! Hope everyone loves it. 🙂 Love the garlic hamburger buns idea.
I am planning on this for one day this week i only need to pick up a few ingredients
Hope you enjoy it!! 🙂
I’m making it for dinner. It’s on the stove simmering. Looks so good!
Hope you enjoy it, Cindy! 🙂
This is one of my most favorites. It’s so easy and like you say forgiving. I always throw in carrots and extra celery. My question is if this soup freezes well. Thank you sharing your great recipes!
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, I found this soup freezes well. 🙂
Hello ,
I am planning to make this soup , I was wanting to know if the celery is a must or could you substitute for green bell pepper ?
Thanks
Lynn
Hi Lynn! You can make the substitution. Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
I actually held out on the diced tomatoes and did 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 whole onion, 1 red bell pepper and since I love celery I added 2 extra stalks. This soup is excellent and very versatile.
Have made this about a dozen times. .its one of our favorites and so easy to make. Thank you!!
Wow that’s awesome!! 😀 I’m so happy it’s one of your favs.