Hamburger Soup

By Melissa Knific

Published May 16, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(2,614)
Comments
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Not to be confused with tasting like an actual burger, this soup is actually named after ground beef, which is sometimes referred to as “hamburger” in certain parts of the United States. Here, it’s combined with any mix of vegetables you like or have on hand, making it an ideal one-pot meal to use up odds and ends from both your crisper and freezer. The key to unlocking a speedy, fully loaded soup is using frozen, pre-chopped vegetables — just be sure not to thaw them before adding to the broth so they don’t lose their bite. To store, cool completely in the pot before transferring to an airtight container, then refrigerate and enjoy for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

  • 1 pound ground beef (preferably 10 percent fat)

  • 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

  • 2 large celery stalks, diced

  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 3 cups low-sodium beef stock or broth

  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 12 ounces russet or Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 medium russet or 3 to 4 medium Yukon gold), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

  • 3 cups chopped mixed vegetables, such as green beans, corn, peas and carrots, frozen (unthawed) or fresh (see Tip)

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional)

  • Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

31 grams carbs; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 379 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams fiber; 1179 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add ground beef, onion and celery. Cook, breaking up the meat into crumbles and stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add tomato paste, stirring until it coats everything; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, stock, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix until combined, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add chopped vegetables, stirring until combined. Make sure potatoes and vegetables are submerged, partially cover the pot, return to a simmer and cook until they’re tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Taste soup, season with Worcestershire sauce, if using, and more salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley, if using.

Tip

  • A bag of mixed frozen vegetables is perfect here, as it significantly cuts down on prep time. Don’t thaw them; simply add to the soup from frozen. It’ll take a minute or two to return to a simmer, but adding them this way ensures maximum crispness. If using fresh veggies, you’ll need an extra 10 to 15 minutes for prep and a few more minutes of simmering to soften them. Peel and finely dice carrots, and stem and chop green beans into ½-inch pieces.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,614 user ratings
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Comments

MM Girard

This recipe and photo brought tears to my eyes. I grew up in mid-Michigan and my dad would build a huge ice skating rink in our backyard during the winter. We’d have ice skating parties with our friends and dad would make vats of this soup fry or everyone. My mom liked neither cooking nor hosting, so this was a manageable one pot soup dad could make for a crowd, with grocery store French bread and lots of butter alongside. Those parties were magical. Miss you, Dad!

Kat

My grandmother taught me this soup and her recipe included a 1/4 cup of barley for heartiness. This is honestly the loveliest recipe and everyone should try it! Yukon gold every time btw! Top with Parmesan salt and pepper.

Robin

Made this soup last night with one key addition: after reading a comment that the result would be bland "Dad food," (which was sort of my fear too), I decided to add a Moroccan spice blend (lots of ground black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cardemom, cloves, nutmeg) to toast along with the onions at the beginning of the recipe. DAYUM it was good. Not hot spicy, but rich spicy. We'll be having it again tonight, and it's going into the regular rotation.

Jason

I ate the first 4 servings as soup and made the last 2 servings with ramen—yum!

Jeanie F

This is just like a soup we used to make while camping as a Girl Scout. Took me back to being 11 again. The best comfort soup on the planet!

Lara

Easy and tasty. Next time I'll cook and drain the meat as first step. Also, my potatoes needed an additional 10 minutes of cooking time, but I do like them nice and soft.

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