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.

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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5 from 6 votes

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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.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword hamburger soup, hamburger soup recipe

Prep Time 18 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 362 kcal

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

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

1. Preheat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes.

3. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more.

4. Add ground beef, and cook until crumbly, about 7 or 8 minute. Use your spoon to break up the chunks.
5. Add tomatoes and chili powder, and cook 4 more minutes to reduce liquids.
6. Add broth/ stock, potatoes, tomato sauce.

7. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer and cover partially.

8. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.

9. 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. 

Nutrition Facts

Hamburger Soup (Stovetop)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 362 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 54mg18%

Sodium 764mg33%

Potassium 1272mg36%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 8275IU166%

Vitamin C 19.4mg24%

Calcium 80mg8%

Iron 4.1mg23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.