This hamburger soup is simple, hearty, and comforting. It comes together quickly with everyday ingredients and makes an easy weeknight dinner.
This delicious hamburger soup is made with ground beef, vegetables, and a savory tomato broth. It is the kind of recipe you can pull together on a busy night without much planning. The seasoning is simple yet flavorful, letting the beef and vegetables shine, and a short simmer brings everything together. Serve it with shredded cheddar and sour cream for an extra rich finish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Lean ground beef: I use an 85/15 mixture. A leaner mixture (90/10) will work, but then you'll need to add more oil or butter to the pan. By the way, ground pork is excellent in this recipe.
- Veggies: I use onions, celery, and orange bell peppers. You can substitute carrots for the bell peppers.
- Beef broth: Store-bought is fine. I prefer regular broth because it's more flavorful than low-sodium broth. I use the Pacific Foods brand.
- Red pepper flakes: I use a pinch. Use ¼ teaspoon for a truly spicy soup.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook the onions, peppers, celery, and ground beef in olive oil. Add the garlic and spices.
Stir in the beef broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. This is the stage when all the wonderful flavors meld together and the soup thickens.
Divide between bowls and serve.
This was amazing!!! I'm attaching a photo.
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Recipe Tips
- Recommended tomatoes: I use Pomi chopped tomatoes. They are sweeter, thicker, and less acidic than American diced tomatoes. Cento Crushed Tomatoes are also very good. Alternatively, use a 14-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes.
- Adjusting the salt: This recipe relies on two packaged products that can greatly vary in their sodium content - tomatoes and broth. So, you should definitely taste the soup before serving and see if you need to make any adjustments. The tomatoes I use have no added salt, but I use regular (not reduced-sodium) beef broth. If you use a different combination, you might need to add more or less salt.
Recipe FAQs
In the U.S., people often use the word "hamburger" to mean ground beef. So the soup's name simply means a soup that uses ground beef as the main ingredient. It has nothing to do with hamburgers!
Its base is brothy, but overall it's a chunky soup, with a texture somewhat similar to chili or curry.
Yes. Beef broth is richer, but you can use chicken broth. I recommend using a salted broth, not a low-sodium one.
Only if you want to. My recipe doesn't contain potatoes or pasta, yet it comes out rich and thick.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or on low heat on the stovetop. Happily, this is one of those recipes where the leftovers get better as they rest in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld.
You can also freeze this soup once it's cooled. I like to freeze individual portions in mugs or mason jars and reheat them gently in the microwave when I want something warm and comforting.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this rich, filling soup as a main course, with any of the following items on the side:
- Cheese muffins
- Almond flour biscuits
- Almond flour bread
- Cheese crackers
- Cornbread, as shown in the photo below.
While it's rich and delicious just as it is, topping it with shredded cheddar and sour cream, as shown in the image below, adds extra richness and creaminess.
Recipe Card
Hearty Hamburger Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion - chopped; 6 ounces
- 1 orange bell pepper - chopped; 4 ounces
- 2 stalks celery - chopped; 4 ounces
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 14 ounces Pomi chopped tomatoes - or petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 dried bay leaf
To Serve:
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, peppers, celery, and ground beef. Season with salt and black pepper.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 orange bell pepper, 2 stalks celery, 1 pound lean ground beef, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat into small chunks, until the vegetables are tender-crisp and the meat is no longer raw (it can still be pink, that's OK), about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for one more minute.1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.2 cups beef broth, 14 ounces Pomi chopped tomatoes, 1 dried bay leaf
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup to see if you'd like to adjust any of the seasonings, then serve. You can serve the soup as is or top it with shredded cheddar and sour cream.¼ cup shredded cheddar, ¼ cup sour cream
Notes
- I use Pomi chopped tomatoes. They are sweeter, thicker, and less acidic than American diced tomatoes. Cento Crushed Tomatoes are also very good. Alternatively, use 1 (14-ounce) can of petite diced tomatoes, ideally unsalted.
- This recipe relies on two packaged products that can greatly vary in their sodium content - tomatoes and broth. So, you should definitely taste the soup before serving and see if you need to make any adjustments. The tomatoes I use have no added salt, but I use regular (not reduced-sodium) beef broth. If you use a different combination, you might need to add more or less salt.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or on low heat on the stovetop. You can also freeze this soup once it's cooled. I like to freeze individual portions in mugs (or mason jars) and reheat them in the microwave when I want something warm and comforting.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Altagracia says
Thanks to this recipe, dinner was easy and delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad to hear! Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review.
Erika says
So delicious! These are exactly the kind of dishes I love to make- hearty and healthy!! Thank you!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup, Erika! Many thanks for the lovely review. Much appreciated.
Trudy says
Very nice, loved the idea of adding in mince to basic soup (homemade) beef stock. I did not have (enough) garden tomatoes. Added in some tomato juice and purée to make up the 14oz. Used venison mince.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Trudy! Thank you very much for the review.
~ Nona says
This was a very tasty, very satisfying recipe.
I used carrots instead of orange bell peppers. The "crunch" while eating added extra pleasure and still offered the color.
I'm looking forward to the "flavor meld" when I enjoy the leftovers. Another plus with this recipe: I can freeze portions for those inevitable nights that just don't want to cook but want to enjoy a Vered DeLeeuw meal ;-).
Vered DeLeeuw says
Nona! I absolutely melt whenever I read one of your lovely reviews. THANK YOU.
Christine says
This recipe is top notch! Quick, delicious and satisfying.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you so much, Christine! This made my day. 🙂
Christine says
This was great! Will definitely make again. I substituted ground beef for ground turkey and chicken broth for beef broth, added green chilies. Fabulous.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for sharing your tweaks. Green chilies sound like a great addition. Yum!
Elle says
Can you use ground turkey instead of hamburger meat?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Elle,
Yes, absolutely! Increase the olive oil to 2 tablespoons.
It's best to use ground turkey thighs, not breast, which is too lean.
Karen says
I used Rotel tomatoes. This soup is SO good.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Thank you very much for the review.
Aqua says
Can you use red or green bell pepper?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes, absolutely! I like the splash of color added by orange peppers, but in terms of flavor, any color works.