Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe (2024)

Recipe Overview

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What you’ll need

• Ground Beef: Ground turkey is good too, as well as other types of ground meat. We do love a lean ground beef for this recipe, though.
• Veggies: For this hearty soup you’ll need onions (just a regular ol’ yellow onion will work!), celery, and carrots. Try to cut them all roughly the same size.
• Potatoes: We like russet potatoes for this recipe because they hold up pretty well in the soup. Yukon golds or red potatoes are fine, too.
• Beef Broth: Low sodium is preferable, so that you can control the amount of salt in the soup.
• Tomatoes: A combination of canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste give this soup lots of tomato flavor. If you can get low-sodium, all the better.
• Seasonings: This soup doesn’t need much! Just garlic, salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar. Fresh chopped parsley stirred in before serving adds fresh flavor. If you don’t have fresh, dried will work, just add it with the other seasonings instead of waiting until the end.

How do I add flavor to beef soup?

Start with a good quality beef broth. If you want to add flavor after the soup has been made, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, or miso will add more flavor. Often, just adding more salt and pepper helps a lot. I like to increase the acidity of the soup just a bit by adding a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice at the end of the cooking time. You’d be surprised how much difference that makes!

What can I use if I don’t have beef broth?

I often substitute chicken or vegetable broth if I don’t happen to have beef broth. It’s likely that you won’t notice the difference. If you happen to have beef bouillon cubes, paste, or granules, add that to your soup to “beef” up the broth.

What is the best soup for upset stomach?

I think most everyone would vote for chicken noodle soup (I love this easy Instant Pot recipe). It’s not spicy or tomato-y which could aggravate an upset stomach. Creamy chicken rice soup always seems to do the trick, too, or if you prefer, Instant Pot chicken and rice soup

Make It Your Own

Hamburger soup is so versatile. Here’s a few suggestions for you but feel free to experiment (which is just another way to say use what’s in your pantry) and come up with your own special recipe.

• Use any type of ground meat: turkey, sausage, lamb, pork, venison. If the meat has a lot of fat, drain it after browning.
• Love cheesy soup? Garnish each serving with shredded cheese. Or try this chunky cheeseburger soup. You’ll love it!
• 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.
• 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.
• For a low carb/keto soup, 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.
• Like soup without tomatoes? Try this creamy chicken rice soup or keep reading for lots more delicious soup recipes.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!