Description
This hearty Hamburger Soup combines lean ground beef, fresh vegetables, and a rich tomato-based broth seasoned with chili powder and smoked paprika. Perfect for a comforting meal, it's easy to prepare on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, with customizable add-ins to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (may substitute 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups red or Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into ½” chunks
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 5 ½ cups reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow deli mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
- 2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon or 2 crushed cubes
Garnishes (Optional)
- Cheddar cheese
- Parsley
- Green onions or chives
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Brown the meat and vegetables: In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook the ground beef or turkey with chopped onion, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables soften and the meat is browned. Drain excess grease if necessary. Meanwhile, prep the potatoes and bell pepper.
- Add garlic and spices: Stir in minced garlic and all spices (chili powder, cumin, salt, dried basil, parsley, oregano, smoked paprika, and pepper). Sauté everything together for 30 seconds to release the flavors.
- Add remaining ingredients: Pour in the potatoes, chopped green bell pepper, beef broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, liquid smoke if using, and beef bouillon. Stir well.
- Simmer the soup: Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender.
- Adjust consistency and serve: If needed, thin the soup with additional water or broth to your desired consistency. The soup is intended to be chunky. Serve topped with optional garnishes such as cheddar cheese, parsley, green onions, or sour cream.
Notes
- This soup is very customizable; feel free to add zucchini, green beans, corn, cabbage, beans, spinach, or substitute potatoes with pasta or rice.
- For a turkey substitution, add extra beef bouillon to enhance flavor.
- Other proteins like shredded chicken, sausage, or mini meatballs can be used instead of ground beef.
- When using pasta, add it after all other ingredients and cook until al dente.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave with stirring intervals.
- Crockpot option: brown meat and veggies first, use 4 cups broth instead of 5 ½ cups, cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 ½ cups)
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
