Hamburger Soup is made with lean ground beef and veggies in a hearty, flavorful, tomato-based broth. Comforting and delicious, this budget-friendly hamburger and vegetable soup comes together quickly and reheats beautifully – the perfect weeknight dinner solution!
Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe
This hearty hamburger soup recipe is one of those special meals that basically makes itself. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy winter weekends, this soup works for all occasions. Made with simple, healthy ingredients like frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and ground beef, it’s super budget-friendly, stretching every hard-earned dollar as far as possible. The whole family will love this yummy soup. And if you find yourself with leftovers, you’re in luck! Hamburger soup is delicious leftover and freezes well.
Check out my cheeseburger soup recipe for a rich, creamy, and ultra-cheesy version of this recipe.
Key Ingredients and Modifications
- Ground Beef: Hamburger meat is the most obvious choice, but it isn’t the only one. Easily swap the ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or mild Italian sausage. Cooked, shredded chicken is also delicious, as are beans! You’ll notice I already snuck a can in there.
- Vegetables: This recipe includes onions, canned tomatoes, frozen peas, and carrots. Feel free to include all your favorite veggies or refrigerator scraps like bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, kale, and corn.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for macaroni pasta, but any other small pasta shape will work. Cooked rice or potatoes (Yukon gold or baby potatoes) are popular gluten-free alternatives to pasta.
How to Make Hamburger Soup
1. Brown the beef in a large pot or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and break the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Once cooked, transfer the beef to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl to drain and set aside.
2. Return the pot to medium heat and sauté the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Cook the onion low and slow for about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
3. Add the canned chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce, and cook for approximately 1 minute before adding the beef broth, cannellini beans, and entire bag of frozen peas and carrots. Mix well and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil.
- Note: If you prefer a soupier soup, add a bit more beef broth or water. If you prefer a thicker soup, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste at the same time as the chopped tomatoes.
4. Add the ground beef back to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. As the soup simmers, cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water to al dente. Cooking the pasta separately prevents it from turning soggy.
- Note: If you prefer to cook the pasta directly in the soup, add an extra cup of broth or water to the soup, as the pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks.
6. Finally, season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Serve each bowl with a scoop or two of cooked elbow macaroni noodles and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Storage
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat over medium heat on the stovetop until simmering or in the microwave. If frozen, allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Can you Freeze Hamburger Soup?
Yes. Hamburger soup freezes and thaws beautifully! Allow leftovers to cool before transferring to freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
For best results, freeze the soup without noodles, as the pasta turns mushy after thawing. Instead, cook the pasta separately and add them just before serving.
What to Serve with Hamburger Soup
Hamburger soup is the perfect example of a well-rounded stand-alone meal. It goes well with a side of buttery crusty bread, dinner rolls, grilled cheese, or a light side salad.
More Ground Beef Recipes,
- 20-Minute Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
- Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
- The Best Chili Recipe
- The Best Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Hamburger Stroganoff Recipe (Ground Beef Stroganoff)
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe
- American Goulash Recipe (One-Pot)
If you try making this Hamburger Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Hamburger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 large yellow onions - minced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cup water - plus more if needed
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
- 16 oz frozen peas and carrots
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- fresh chopped parsley - to garnish
Instructions
- Add one teaspoon of olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or saucepot set over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to season. Once cooked, transfer the beef to a fine mesh strainer to drain. Set aside.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and minced onions. Cook the onions for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until starting to soften. And the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce, and cook for approximately 1 minute before adding the beef broth, cannellini beans, and entire bag of frozen peas and carrots. Mix thoroughly to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Add the ground beef back to the pot and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover your pot with a tight-fitting lid and allow your soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- As the soup simmers, cook the macaroni noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve each bowl with a scoop or two of cooked elbow macaroni noodles and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Jessica’s Notes
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
- For best results, freeze this soup before adding any pasta. Pasta does not freeze well.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
If hearty Hamburger Soup is your kind of comfort food, take it up a notch with this deeply flavorful, spice-infused Pho recipe—brothy, nourishing, and endlessly satisfying!
Going to make the soup today.
Do you leave the noodles on the side & add them to your bowel when ready to eat or put them in the pot with the soup once cooked ?
You add the noodles to each bowl when ready to eat ๐
Otherwise, the noodles will get too soggy and fall apart if left in the soup. It’s still perfectly edible, but not as good of an experience as when you add the noodles to each bowl.
Was delish thank you for sharing from your table to mine. Will definitely make it again and again
Awesome soup, will be making many times over ๐ thank you for sharing
Thanks for the awesome feedback Rachelle ๐
Really a great soup my guys and I really enjoy it . Will make that many times to come Thanks
Thanks for the kind feedback Ronna ๐