Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup (Shortcuts and Variations) Recipe
This Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup is a hearty and nutritious one-pot meal combining lean ground beef with a colorful mix of fresh and canned vegetables. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it offers comforting flavors with options for Instant Pot and slow cooker variations to suit your cooking preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Aromatics
- ½ to ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
Fresh Vegetables
- 2 small round red or Yukon gold potatoes (about 12 ounces)
- 3 small carrots (or 1 ½ cups baby carrots sliced)
- 3 ribs celery with leaves
Canned Vegetables
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (or petite diced)
- 1 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 14.5 ounce can cut green beans, drained
Liquids and Seasonings
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
- 3 cups vegetable, beef or chicken broth
- 1 cup tomato juice or V-8 juice or 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (optional; if tomato juice is not used, add 1 additional cup broth)
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or a mixture of oregano, thyme, and basil (optional) or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
- Cook the Meat and Onion: In an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion together, stirring and crumbling the meat as it cooks. If you use meat leaner than ground chuck, add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to prevent sticking. Once cooked, drain any excess fat if necessary.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the meat is cooking, chop the fresh vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery with leaves) and drain the canned vegetables (corn, green beans, tomatoes).
- Add Vegetables and Herbs: Add the fresh and canned vegetables to the cooked meat and onion mixture, stirring well to combine. If using herbs, add them at this stage.
- Add Liquids and Seasoning: Pour in the broth and tomato juice or V-8 juice (if using). Stir in salt if desired.
- Simmer the Soup: Cover the pot, bring it to a boil. Then, partially cover the pot by pushing the lid slightly to the side to allow venting, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. You may simmer longer if you desire a thicker soup or more developed flavors.
Notes
- Instant Pot Version: Use the sauté function to cook ground beef and onion in the insert pot; drain if needed. Add all remaining ingredients without adjusting the liquid. Cook on pressure cook/manual mode for 5 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes before opening.
- Slow Cooker Method: Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet unless your slow cooker has a sauté mode, then drain excess fat. Transfer to the slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients. Stir well, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Keywords: hamburger soup, vegetable soup, easy soup recipe, ground beef soup, quick dinner, healthy soup
