This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Hamburger Soup is simple to make, budget-friendly, and ready in about 30 minutes. It’s loaded with ground beef, pasta, and vegetables in a rich and flavorful broth.
I serve my Hamburger Soup with a simple Garden Salad and Beer Bread for a satisfying meal that everyone loves.
Why We Love This Hamburger Soup Recipe
- It’s easy to make and very kid friendly.
- Hamburger Soup with pasta is for potlucks and soup suppers, or for taking to a family in need because it’s easy to make double the batch.
- Ground beef is very budget friendly and I always have some on hand.
- Super simple to customize with your own favorite veggies and it stores and freezes beautifully.
Hamburger Soup Ingredients
- Onion – about ¾ of a cup, diced.
- Garlic cloves – minced
- Lean ground beef – I use a leaner 85/15 but you can use whatever you have on hand. Ground turkey or chicken will also work.
- Condensed tomato soup – This will add flavor to the broth without adding bulk. My family doesn’t like tomatoes in soup, but you could add a can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce if you prefer.
- Beef Broth – the base of the soup. Use canned broth, or some bouillon and water.
- Corn or other canned/frozen vegetables
- Small pasta – I prefer to cook the pasta separately because if it’s cooked in the soup the starches will thicken the broth and when stored it will continue to soak the broth up.
How to Make Hamburger Soup
- Cook the hamburger. Start by heating olive oil in a 5-quart soup pot or dutch oven. Add some diced 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 it up). Be sure to add a little salt and pepper for enhanced flavor.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in beef broth, 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. Add the corn or any frozen veggies you have on hand and simmer until the veggies are heated through.
- Cook the pasta. While the soup is simmering, start boiling water for the pasta and cook it to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the cooked pasta, divide into bowls, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Hamburger Vegetable Soup
My recipe doesn’t have a ton of veggies in it, but I often add in what I have on hand like carrots, zucchini, green beans, or diced tomatoes. Frozen corn or frozen peas are easy additions.
You can saute 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.
Or, try my Smoky Vegetable Beef Soup for a veggie-packed spin on hamburger soup.
FAQs
Keep leftovers fresh by storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Without the pasta, this soup freezes beautifully. Let it cool, then pour into a freezer bag or into a freezer container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in a pot on the stove, adding fresh pasta if desired.
Absolutely! Feel free to lighten it up with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of the hamburger. You’ll want to use chicken broth in place of beef broth in this case.
Add some smokiness with paprika or chili powder, or make it spicy with a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce. For added flavor, add a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, or some herbs like oregano, basil, Italian seasoning and bay leaf.
You can boil ground beef! Place the meat in a large pot and cover it with water. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula then bring the water to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for several minutes or until the meat is fully cooked. Drain and season.
Expert Tips
I have learned a few tricks over the years to keep this tasty soup fresh tasting, even with leftovers.
- Be careful with the pasta. Ideally, you want to cook the pasta separately (any small pasta that you have on hand will do) to help keep it from getting mushy. If I’m in a hurry though, and not planning for leftovers, I’ll just drop the pasta right in the pot and let it cook with the soup.
- Feel free to customize: I will also customize the soup with the veggies I have on hand, so this recipe is your baseline that you can make completely your own. Fresh veggies, like carrots and celery, can be cooked with the onions and beef. Frozen vegetables should be added and simmered with the soup.
- Potatoes are a great substitution for pasta. Dice potatoes into chunks and par boil before adding to the soup. If you want to cook them with the soup, that’s fine, but keep in mind that it will thicken your soup.
- Drain the grease: Browning the ground beef adds a ton of flavor but it can also add grease. Make sure to soak up the excess grease with paper towels or drain it from the pot.
More Tasty Soup Recipes
- Ground Turkey and Rice Soup with Kale
- Beef & Macaroni Soup
- Smoky Vegetable Beef Soup
- Albondigas Soup Recipe
- Bacon and Bean Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 of a medium sized onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 10 ounce can condensed tomato soup plus 1 can-ful of water
- 14 ounce can beef broth or about 2 cups
- 1 cup of corn or other canned/frozen vegetables
- 1 cup small pasta cooked to package directions (or uncooked*)
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 to medium-low). Add the vegetables and continue to simmer until vegetables are hot,; about 6-8 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta.
- Divide into bowls, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve hot.
- *If cooking the pasta IN the soup, add with the vegetables and simmer until pasta is tender.
Notes
- If you are short on time or just would 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.
- Potatoes are a great substitution for the pasta. Dice potatoes into chunks and par boil before adding to the soup. If you want to cook them with the soup, that’s fine, but keep in mind that it will thicken your hamburger soup.
I’m going to make this but instead of tomato soup I’m going to use stewed tomatoes and chunks of celery…
My family loved, loved, loved this recipe! Ingredients on hand, simple to make and a crowd pleaser! Doesn’t get any better than that! PS Used fresh corn off the cob! Wowser
Nice! Thanks for the awesome feedback Wendy.
Made this but didn’t add pasta. Then for the week, I boiled tortellini noodles one night, I did rice with it another night, cooked a potato in the microwave and sliced it and added green peas
into it another night. Made several different options and just one base of soup. Really great!! thanks for the recipe.
That’s such a great idea!
I have a very similar recipe as this one that I’ve made for years – the only difference is that I use cut up potatoes (sometimes new potatoes) instead of the pasta. Your recipe is delish as is. I’ll be adding it to my recipe file. Thanks for sharing
You are so welcome Ja! Thanks for stopping by.
Nice and easy and very tasty. And I am 100% in favor with the addition of corn to the soup!!!!! Works for me!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Danny.
So if one wanted to use potatoes instead of pasta, how many would you recommend? I was thinking of using russet, would 2 be enough?
1-2 large russet should be enough. Peel and cut into small cubes. It will thicken your soup, so you might want to consider cooking the potatoes separately and adding them at the end.
This quick easy soup is wonderful. I can’t say enough about. Even my husband raved about it!
Nice! Thank you for your feedback Mazie.
This recipe sounds very similar to mexican meatball soup. Made pretty much the same way but roll hamburger meat into meatballs. After 30 minutes serve in soup mugs an top with grated motzerella cheese an cilantro.
I want very much to try your version.
Thank you so much for stopping by Melanie!
I loved this soup! I am now making it again a few weeks later if that tells you anything.
I don’t usually take the time to do reviews but I did for this one. I made this last night and my husband and I absolutely love it! My husband is a picky eater and even questioned the corn in it lol, but he loved it! I’m sure I will be making this every month. (I used extra onion power because we don’t like onions)
Hi Lisa, Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback. Glad that you both enjoyed the soup.
Thanks for stopping by.
This is my kind of recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
You are so welcome Rebecca! Thanks for stopping by.
I call this Yum! soup. lol When making it I add extra onion, and add ditalini pasta near the end of cooking. What surprised me about this soup was the addition of a can of tomato soup. That certainly adds a nice little depth. Much appreciate your hard work ….and yummy soups.
You are so welcome! Thanks for stopping by.
How do I get the nutritional information for each of your recipes. Thank you
We are working to add nutritional content to each of our recipes. If you need the info and it’s not included I recommend using a site like myfitnesspal.com.
What type of pasta is that?
It’s called Orecchiette pasta. You can find it here: https://amzn.to/2nF0tNz