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This humble and simple Crock Pot Hamburger Soup recipe is the perfect comforting dinner or quick weeknight meal. Filled with ground beef and veggies with a hearty and flavorful broth, this soup will make it to the weekly rotation. Plus, it’s super affordable!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This slow cooker hamburger soup recipe is a total game-changer. It’s incredibly versatile—you can swap in ground turkey or even ground chicken for a lighter twist or use whatever veggies you have sitting in your fridge. No fancy ingredients required; everything in this crockpot hamburger soup can be found at your local grocery store. The best part? It cooks low and slow, letting all those flavors blend into a hearty soup that tastes even better the next day. No fuss, minimal cleanup, and full of flavor!
Whether you’re feeding picky eaters or serving individual servings to family and friends, this is the perfect meal to whip up and forget about. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in those veggies without anyone noticing!
Ingredients Needed For Crockpot Hamburger Soup
This Hamburger Vegetable Soup is made up of a few essential ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter & Olive Oil: Adds flavor and helps brown the meat.
- Onion: Diced for a touch of sweetness and depth.
- Lean Ground Beef: Adds protein and richness. Substitute with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
- Potatoes: Red potatoes or russet potatoes work well for tender potato chunks.
- Carrots, Celery, Bell Peppers: Adds crunch and flavor. Use any color bell pepper you like.
- Green Beans: Fresh, canned, or frozen…they all work!
- Beef Broth: Or chicken broth for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Tomato Sauce: Adds body and a rich tomato flavor.
- Bay Leaves, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Season to taste.
- Kale (optional): For extra greens. Add towards the end of cooking.
Fresh Vegetables versus Canned or Frozen
Like you probably can tell, I used fresh onions, carrots, potatoes and bell peppers, but frozen or even canned are a-ok to use! Just be sure to add them in near the end of the 25 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t get too mushy. The frozen vegetable medley is a good, readily available option as are some canned peas, carrots and corn. Zucchini, green beans, kidney beans or even cabbage can work in this soup! The sky really is the limit.
Variations
- Stovetop Version: You can also make this as a stovetop hamburger soup—just simmer for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Ground Meat: Use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.
- Potatoes: Swap russet potatoes with sweet potatoes for a different twist.
- Tomato Base: Add a spoonful of tomato paste for a richer flavor.
- Vegetables: Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, or small shells for extra texture.
- Cheese Lovers: Stir in cream cheese or cheddar cheese at the end for a creamy soup.
Need other ground beef recipes? Look no further! Here are a few of my favorites: The Best Sloppy Joes, Healthier Korean Beef, Simple Sunday Meatloaf, The Best Burger Recipe, Easy Meatballs, Taco Rice and Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe.
How to Make Hamburger Soup
For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here are my step by step instructions for making this easy soup recipe:
1- Sauté Onions + Brown Meat
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté diced onion, then add ground beef, breaking it into chunks. Cook until browned. Drain excess grease.
2. Prep the Crockpot
Transfer the browned beef and onions to a cold Crockpot.
3. Add in Remaining Ingredients
Toss in celery, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, potatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, bay leaves, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
4. Cook Low and Slow
Set your Crockpot to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add kale in the last hour if desired.
5. Serve!
Remove bay leaves, taste for seasoning, and ladle into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread.
What to Serve with Hamburger Soup
I always get stuck on the soup-salad-sandwich thinking and usually offer something along those lines with any soup I’m serving. Our current favorites are these Italian-inspired Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, No-Knead Crescent Rolls, Wedge Salad or even a fruit salad.
If you have kids, try making smoothie to go along with dinner. It’s my latest craze that has really caught on. My kids LOVE a good smoothie. This tropical one is the current favorite. Bonus points if you throw in a handful of spinach or frozen cauliflower! (Yes, frozen cauliflower works perfectly in a smoothie as long as you don’t add too much so it can go undetected.)
Storage + Make Ahead Directions
Leftover soup will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
To freeze: let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight, freezer safe container. It will stay fresh in the freezer for 3 months!
To make ahead: Prepare the ingredients the night before and store them in the fridge. In the morning, dump everything into the crockpot.
More Soup Recipes to Try!
- Easy Taco Soup
- Crockpot Beef Stew
- Irish Beef Stew Recipe with Mashed Potatoes
- The Best Chili Recipe
- Vegetable Beef Soup
This Crock Pot Hamburger Soup Recipe is a great recipe for those chilly nights when you need an easy meal that warms you right up. Keep it on hand for those long days when you want to come home to a delicious meal waiting in your crock pot. Enjoy, and don’t forget to check the bottom of the post for the full recipe card! Have a great day, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Crock Pot Hamburger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large rib celery diced
- 1 large bell pepper any color, diced
- 1 cup green beans chopped – fresh, canned or frozen
- 4 cups beef broth or beef stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce 8 oz can
- 2 whole bay leaves dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup kale fresh, chopped (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil.
- Add diced onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add ground beef, breaking it apart into large chunks as it browns.
- Once onions are soft and meat has browned, add to a cold Crock Pot.
- Add in celery, bell pepper, carrots, green beans, potatoes, carrots, beef broth, tomato sauce, bay leaves, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
- Set your Crock Pot to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- In the last hour, add the kale (if desired)*.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper if needed. Remove and discard bay leaves. Ladle into bowls and serve.
