Grandmother's Hamburger Soup

Square overhead shot of a bowl of hamburger soup

5 from 6 votes

This simple, healthy, and easy hamburger soup is pure comfort in a bowl, and it has stood the test of time for generations!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Hamburger Soup, Hamburger Vegetable Soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings cups

Calories 163kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, not drained
2 cups green beans (I use frozen cut green beans)
4 large red potatoes (about 1½ lbs. total), diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef broth or beef stock
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain, and return to pot.
Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, tomato paste, broth, water, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes

Extra veggies: while my grandmother didn't necessarily add these additional vegetables, I often like to throw in some diced zucchini, frozen corn kernels, and/or sliced fresh mushrooms (all shown here). Frozen peas are also easy to toss in at the end. She often included chopped cabbage, too.
Noodles or Pasta: in lieu of the potatoes, add a few cups of cooked macaroni, egg noodles, rotini, or other pasta of choice.
Rice or Barley: both of these short grains make a nice addition to the soup as well! Stir in a few cups of cooked rice or barley at the end of the cooking time.
Add more of your favorite seasoning, such as turmeric, paprika, chili powder, or even a dash of curry powder. A dash of Worcestershire sauce also pairs nicely with the beef.
Fresh herbs! A bit of fresh parsley is the perfect way to brighten up the soup at the very end. My memory of my grandmother's food is that it was always garnished with fresh parsley! Feel free to use chives, rosemary, or other fresh herbs of choice.
Cut the carrots into a fine dice so that they're soft by the time the potatoes are done. You don't want hard, crunchy carrots in your soup, but you also don't want to have to overcook the potatoes in order to give the carrots time to finish.
Simmer the soup just long enough for the potatoes to become tender. This typically takes about 15-20 minutes. If you simmer too long, they can become mushy.
Adjust the heat by using more or less red pepper flakes.
Depending on the broth that you use, you might need more (or less) salt and pepper. Just taste and season until it's exactly how you like it!

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