Hamburger soup is a warm and comforting bowl of hearty goodness, and it is made with basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Soup is my jam this time of year. I just love making all different types of soup, especially since it results in a full dinner made all in one pot!
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Note: The Instant Pot version of this recipe has been moved to a separate post here: Instant Pot hamburger soup. I made this version on the stovetop in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

This hamburger soup is a winner, y’all! 😋👌🏻 This is a very hearty and filling soup with great flavor. Even my very picky two year old daughter ate every bite! I am calling that a BIG win!🎉 It happens to be gluten free too, for those of you that matters to.
The most effort for making this soup is chopping up all the vegetables. So just crank up some of your favorite music, and settle in for a few minutes. And go to town on chopping those beautiful veggies!

Special thanks to my mom, who helped me chop everything for this recipe. She has been living with us since my cancer diagnosis, and she helps me with everything! This post would not have been possible without her help. Thanks Mom!💖
But the effort is so very worth it! This makes a big batch, about eight servings. So you will likely have some leftovers. And the leftovers are so delicious too!

Tips for Making Hamburger Soup
- I would recommend using a leaner variety of ground beef. I do not drain mine for this recipe, and a leaner cut helps with that. I used 90/10 in this batch. I think 85/15 or leaner would work just fine.
- Whether or not you peel the potatoes is up to you. I peeled my sweet potatoes, mostly because they were not organic. I left the peeling on my russets since they were organic.
- You can use any mixture of potatoes for this soup. We have used russet, red and gold potatoes. I always include some sweet potatoes somewhere in the mix, though. I just love the variety of flavors! Just make sure your total potato weight is around twenty-eight to thirty-ish ounces. A food scale helps with this, but it measured to to be about 5.5 cups of diced potatoes for me.
- I love the tomato sauce from Costco, the Kirkland brand. It is already well-seasoned. If you use another brand, try to get one that is seasoned. Some varieties are plain and/or without salt added. You could still use those, just be aware that you may need some extra salt.
- Any type of chicken stock will work with this. I love using my homemade chicken bone broth the best, is I have some on hand. This batch in these photos was made with store bought boxed stock, and it worked out great. I have also used water plus Better that Bullion (BTB) chicken base.
- Side note: The BTB has a very high salt content though. Heck, all stocks, tomatoes and tomato sauces can vary in saltiness, so just be aware of that. It may affect the amount of salt you add to finish off your soup.
- I have not frozen this soup because I am afraid the potatoes would not hold up well. If you did want to make it ahead and put it in the freezer, I would follow the steps up to the point of adding the broth/stock, tomatoes and tomato sauce. I would freeze that mixture, minus the potatoes. And then I would wait and add the diced potatoes at the time you plan to cook it to eat it.
I hope you enjoy this hamburger soup as much as we do!💖
Hamburger Soup Recipe
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Hamburger Soup (Stovetop)
Hamburger soup is a warm and comforting bowl of hearty goodness, and it is made with basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Ingredients
- cooking spray (I used avocado oil spray)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1.25 pounds ground beef 85/15 or leaner
- 1 can diced tomatoes undrained, 14.5 ounces
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 can tomato sauce (14.5 ounces – I used the Kirkland one fro Costco)
- 5 cups chicken stock Or 5 cups water + 1.5 Tablespoons Better Than Bullion base
- 3 Russet potatoes diced into 1 inch bites (17 ounces, about 3.5 cups)
- 1 large sweet potato or 2 small, diced into 1 inch bites (11 ounces, about 2 cups)
Instructions
-
Preheat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
-
Add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes.
-
Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
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Add ground beef, and cook until crumbly, about 7 or 8 minute. Use your spoon to break up the chunks.
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Add tomatoes and chili powder, and cook 4 more minutes to reduce liquids.
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Add broth/ stock, potatoes, tomato sauce.
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Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer and cover partially.
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Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.
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Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: this will vary based on the saltiness of your broth and canned tomatoes.
Recipe Notes
- Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
- I would recommend using a leaner variety of ground beef. I do not drain mine for this recipe, and a leaner cut helps with that. I used 90/10 in this batch. I think 85/15 or leaner would work just fine.
- Whether or not you peel the potatoes is up to you. I peeled my sweet potatoes, mostly because they were not organic. I left the peeling on my russets since they were organic.
- You can use any mixture of potatoes for this soup. We have used russet, red and gold potatoes. I always include some sweet potatoes somewhere in the mix, though. I just love the variety of flavors! Just make sure your total potato weight is around twenty-eight to thirty-ish ounces. A food scale helps with this, but it measured to to be about 5.5 cups of diced potatoes for me.
- I love the tomato sauce from Costco, the Kirkland brand. It is already well-seasoned. If you use another brand, try to get one that is seasoned. Some varieties are plain and/or without salt added. You could still use those, just be aware that you may need some extra salt.
- Any type of chicken stock will work with this. I love using my homemade chicken bone broth the best, is I have some on hand. This batch in these photos was made with store bought boxed stock, and it worked out great. I have also used water plus Better that Bullion (BTB) chicken base.
- Side note: The BTB has a very high salt content though. Heck, all stocks, tomatoes and tomato sauces can vary in saltiness, so just be aware of that. It may affect the amount of salt you add to finish off your soup.
- I have not frozen this soup because I am afraid the potatoes would not hold up well. If you did want to make it ahead and put it in the freezer, I would follow the steps up to the point of adding the broth/stock, tomatoes and tomato sauce. I would freeze that mixture, minus the potatoes. And then I would wait and add the diced potatoes at the time you plan to cook it to eat it.
Rohtak says
This soup sounds delicious & healthy! My family loves good & hearty soups during the winter months.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I hope y’all enjoy it!
Danita says
Made this in the instant pot today with ground chicken and used my turkey bone broth I made after Thanksgiving. I added extra carrot, 1 large potato and 1 very large Japanese yam. Also dumped in a small can of chopped green chili. I was trying to use up things from the freezer and pantry. It turned out wonderful. Thanks for a great recipe and instructions.
Liz says
This recipe is amazing! I have made it several times, and it has become a staple in our house. Thank you so much!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That is amazing to hear, Liz!🥰🙌🏻 Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a rating.🙏🏻
Debra C. Williams says
i made this soup for supper last night and it was very good. even my husband liked it and he seems to complain about just about everything. I would give it a 5 star rating. would definitely make again.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Wonerful! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Glad y’all enjoyed it.
Kristen says
I made this hamburger soup tonight and it was delicious! My hubby put a little cheddar on top of his second helping and said that it’s wonderful that way as well! Thank you so much!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Kristen! I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback.💖🙏🏻
Elaine says
This looks delicious- making it for dinner tonight. Thinking of you- hope you’re hanging in there. Hurrah for moms!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Thank you, Elaine!💖 Moms are the best. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Christy says
This is such a delicious soup! Dad and I loved it and were happy to be your taste testers.