Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe

Name: Hamburger Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
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*))

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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.

Bowls of hamburger soup with macaroni and vegetables.

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.

Ground beef, garlic and onions in a soup pot.

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.

Soup pot filled with soup with hamburger, macaroni and vegetables and a ladle.

FAQs

How long does Hamburger Soup last in the fridge?

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.

Can you freeze Hamburger Soup?

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.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

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.

What spices should I put in hamburger soup?

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.

Can you boil hamburger meat?

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.

A ladle holding a serving of hamburger soup.

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.

Bowl of hamburger Soup with Macaroni and a spoon.

More Tasty Soup Recipes

Recipe

Hamburger Soup

4.91 from 52 votes

Kristin Maxwell

Hamburger Soup is simple, budget friendly and ready in 30 minutes. It's made with ground beef, pasta and vegetables in a rich and flavorful broth.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

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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.

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.