This Hamburger Soup recipe is easy to make with ground beef and your favorite vegetables. A creamy ingredient addition rounds out the savory combination of beef and chicken broth. Bonus: This makes a great freezer meal and it’s Crock Pot friendly!

A red Dutch oven filled with Hamburger Soup with a wooden spoon.

Hamburger Soup

I have definitely made this soup more than any other soup recipe on the blog. I jokingly call this “Poor man’s soup” because my dad always talked about his mom making this with some scraps, a little beef, and some water.

These days, I like to use a combination of chicken broth and beef broth along with a can of creamy soup, some milk, potatoes, and frozen vegetables. It couldn’t be easier to make and it freezes really well.

BONUS: It’s stove top and crock pot friendly!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery halfway through and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Drain excess grease and return to heat. Add the garlic, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce. Toss to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, beef broth, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and milk.

A soup pot filled with ground beef with potatoes and beef broth being added.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 10-15 more minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste and add any additional seasonings if preferred. Serve!A soup pot with frozen vegetables being added to hamburger soup.

Pro Tips

  • Feel free to make this with my homemade cream of chicken soup. The soup can also be omitted if preferred but it adds a nice creamy offset to round out the flavors in the broth.
  • Cream of Mushroom, Golden Mushroom, Cream of Broccoli, and Cream of Celery make fine substitution options for cream of chicken.
  • Be sure not to overcook the potatoes, especially if you plan on freezing leftovers.
  • Fresh carrots can be added with the onions and celery if preferred.
  • To control the sodium in this recipe, use low-sodium broth and/or condensed soup. You can also refrain from seasoning the ground beef with salt.

What to Add to Hamburger Soup

  • 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste if you prefer a little tomato flavor
  • Drained Diced Tomatoes, Zucchini, Cabbage.
  • Macaroni Noodles or Rice.
  • Ground Turkey or chicken instead of ground beef

**If adding pasta or rice: I recommend cooking it separately, adding it directly to serving bowls, and storing it separately from the soup as it tends to absorb a lot of broth during storage.

A red soup pot filled with Hamburger Soup with ground beef, vegetables, and a wooden spoon.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4.5 quart Dutch oven– This is a great size for this recipe.
  • Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
  • Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
  • 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

A white bowl of Hamburger Soup with vegetables and ground beef.

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A pot of hamburger soup with ground beef and vegetables.

Hamburger Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
5 from 27 ratings
Servings: 8 people
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This Hamburger Soup recipe is easy to make with ground beef and your favorite vegetables. It's perfect for meal planning on a budget and makes a great freezer meal idea.

Ingredients

Seasonings:

  • 1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil + dried parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme + mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground sage

Soup:

  • 1 ½ lbs. ground beef
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 large red potatoes, or 4 small
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 cups frozen vegetables, I used a mix of carrots, peas, corn, and green beans

Instructions

Stove Top Method

  • Combine the seasonings and set aside.
  • Lightly season the ground beef with salt and pepper. Add it to a 4.5 quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble for 5 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone. Add the onions and celery and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Drain excess grease.
  • Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Toss to coat and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the potatoes, beef broth, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste and add any seasonings as needed. Serve!

Crock Pot Method

  • Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble for 5 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone.
  • Add the onions and celery and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
  • Drain excess grease and transfer it to the slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients *except* the frozen vegetables.
  • Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Add frozen vegetables and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Feel free to make this with my homemade cream of chicken soup. The soup can also be omitted if preferred but it adds a nice creamy offset to round out the flavors in the broth. 
  • Cream of Mushroom, Golden Mushroom, Cream of Broccoli, and Cream of Celery make fine substitution options for cream of chicken.
  • Be sure not to overcook the potatoes, especially if you plan on freezing leftovers.
  • Fresh carrots can be added with the onions and celery if preferred.
  • To control the sodium in this recipe, use low-sodium broth and/or condensed soup. You can also refrain from seasoning the ground beef with salt.
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 1021mg, Potassium: 826mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2425IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie