Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe

Easy Hamburger Soup is ready in 30 minutes with your choice of tender pasta or potatoes, ground beef & vegetables in a rich tomato broth. This hearty soup recipe is budget-friendly and freezes beautifully!

For more old-fashioned family recipes, try our Chicken and Dumplings, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or Swedish Meatballs next.

5 Keys to the Best Hamburger Soup

• Brown the ground beef well. Take the time to let it really develop color before adding the other ingredients; that’s where the rich, savory flavor comes from.
• Use 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. Using anything else will produce more fat and grease in your soup. Additionally, make sure to soak up any excess grease with paper towels or drain it from the pot.
• Choose pasta or potatoes. They both work beautifully, but they cook differently. Potatoes should simmer right in the broth until tender (about 10-15 minutes), while pasta is best cooked separately so it doesn’t soak up all the liquid and become mushy.
• Add veggies in order. Add firmer ones like carrots early so they have time to soften, and stir in frozen or canned vegetables near the end to keep their texture.
• Be mindful with the salt. Canned tomato soup and broth already add plenty of salt; give it a taste before adding any more so it doesn’t get too salty.
  

Pasta or Potatoes?

Both pasta and potatoes make this soup hearty and satisfying – customize it based on your preferences or use whatever you have on hand.

• Pasta: Great for a classic hamburger soup. Use small shapes like elbows, ditalini, or mini shells so they fit on your spoon. Cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl before serving to keep it from soaking up too much broth and becoming mushy.
• Potatoes: Perfect for a thicker, stew-like consistency and a little extra creaminess as they cook. Add diced Yukon Gold or red potatoes (they hold their shape best) directly to the soup and simmer until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
• Consider Leftovers: Pasta can get soft over time, while potatoes hold up better for reheating or freezing.

recipe walk-through

How to Make Hamburger Soup

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Step 1: Cook the hamburger.

Cook the ground beef with diced onion and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until browned. Drain as much grease as possible and add a little salt and pepper for enhanced flavor.

• Don’t skip this step – browning creates better flavor than adding raw beef straight to the crockpot.
• I usually use 85/15 ground beef for the right balance of flavor and fat. Leaner 90/10 ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken also work.

Step 2: Make the broth.

Stir in beef broth, condensed tomato soup, and water (just fill the tomato soup can with water). Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Step 3: Add veggies (and potatoes if using).

Stir in the frozen or canned vegetables and simmer another 5-6 minutes, until heated through.

• If using potatoes, add the 2 cups of diced potatoes along with the vegetables and simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender. You’ll know they’re ready when a fork slides in easily, but the pieces still hold their shape.

Step 4: Cook the pasta, if using.

While the soup is simmering, start boiling water for the pasta and cook it to al dente. Drain and set aside.

Step 6: Taste and adjust.

Before serving, stir and taste your Hamburger Soup. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Step 7: Finish and serve.

Divide the scoops of pasta into bowls, then ladle the soup over them. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired, and serve hot.

Variations and Customizations

• Protein swaps: Use ground chicken or turkey for a lighter version.
• Starch alternatives: Barley or rice would be delicious in this soup! Make sure to cook the grains separately for the best texture, as the cook times can be different.
• Seasonal vegetables: Use carrots, celery, leeks, and kale in fall and winter or zucchini, summer squash, green beans, and corn in spring and summer.
• Add cooked or canned beans for an extra boost of fiber and hearty flavor.
• Make it spicy with some cayenne pepper or chili powder for another layer of flavor.
• Tomato base options: Use a can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of the condensed soup if that’s what you have on hand. Just make sure to add a little water in addition, just like with the condensed soup.

More Hearty Soup Recipes

• Ground Turkey and Rice Soup with Kale
• Bacon and Bean Soup
• Beef and Barley Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Cheeseburger Soup

Recipe

Hamburger Soup

4.92 from 56 votes

Kristin Maxwell

This easy hamburger soup is ready in 30 minutes with ground beef, pasta, & vegetables in a rich tomato broth. Budget-friendly and freezes beautifully!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 cup Diced onion
• 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
• 1 pound Lean ground beef
• 10 ounces Condensed tomato soup plus 1 can-ful of water
• 14 ounces Beef broth or about 2 cups
• 1 cup Frozen corn or other canned/frozen vegetables
• 1 cup Small pasta, cooked to package directions (or uncooked*)
• Fresh minced parsley optional, for garnish
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional, for garnish

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Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a 5 quart pot or dutch oven. Add onion and saute for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Crumble ground beef and stir garlic into the pot with the onions and cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain as much of the grease as possible. (I use paper towels to soak up the fat).
• Season beef with salt and pepper.
• Stir in beef broth, tomato soup and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat down to a simmer (medium-low to low). Add the vegetables and continue to simmer until vegetables are heated through; about 6-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions. You can also boil in the soup but the noodles will absorb the liquid and may become mushy.
• Divide pasta into bowls, then soup, and garnish with fresh minced parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.
• *If cooking the pasta IN the soup, add with the vegetables and simmer until pasta is tender.

Notes

• Hamburger Soup with Potatoes: Replace pasta with 2 cups diced potatoes (½-inch). Add with vegetables, simmer 10-15 min until fork-tender. Keep in mind that potatoes will thicken the soup, feel free to add more broth or water as desired to thin.
• Hamburger Soup with Pasta: I highly recommend cooking the pasta separately, as it can absorb extra liquid and become mushy if cooked in the soup. It makes leftovers easier too.
• One Pot Hamburger Pasta Soup: If you do prefer to make the soup all in one pot, you can cook the pasta in the broth as it simmers. It will take 10-15 minutes, depending on your heat setting and the type of pasta. Keep in mind, the pasta will get mushy the longer it sits, which makes leftovers difficult.
• Veggies: I often add what I have on hand like carrots, zucchini, green beans, or diced tomatoes. Frozen corn or frozen peas are easy additions.
  Sauté raw vegetables, like carrots and celery, with the onions to soften. If using frozen vegetables, add them during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
• Condensed Soup Swaps: Try adding a can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of the condensed soup.

Keyword hamburger soup

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 21gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 678mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1726IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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