Earlier this week I took the little kids to Madison County, of The Bridges of Madison County fame, to check out Clark Tower. The massive stone tower was built in the 1920’s on top of an enormous hill with the most gorgeous, sweeping views of Madison County below. I’ve been dying to see it for years. Told the kids we were going to go see a castle. We were all thrilled!
The tower is located within Winterset City Park which contains one of the historic bridges, plus a huge playground, hedge maze, and a log cabin originally built in the 1850s. The changing leaves, cool breeze, bright blue skies, and sense of outdoor adventure was exactly what we needed. It was SUCH a great morning, especially because I had Hamburger Soup ready and waiting for us to reheat for lunch when we returned home!
You guys, I learned a fancy new trick to see what recipes you’re searching for when you get to IGE and, spoiler alert: it’s ALL THE SOUPS. All of ’em! I highly advise you get this humble, hearty, ground beef soup recipe on your menu ASAP, because it’s just what we need for fall.
Watch How to Make It
Hamburger Soup Ingredients
Browned and seasoned ground beef is simmered with tons of vegetables of the fresh, frozen, and canned variety, plus lots of seasonings, beef broth, tomato sauce and a special ingredient that gives the soup big big flavor – V8 vegetable juice. It makes this vegetable hamburger soup taste like the Campbell’s Alphabet Soup of my childhood…minus the gluten and caramel coloring!
Side Dishes to Serve With
A nice side salad is always great to freshen up a flavorful-packed and hearty soup recipe like this one, though I am also very partial to my Gluten Free Dinner Rolls. Roasted or Air Fried asparagus would be great too.
Why You Should Make Hamburger Soup
- It’s PACKED with vegetables.
- Yet PACKED with flavor.
- Is Easy.
- Inexpensive.
- Feeds an army.
- Reheats well.
I can’t wait for you to get this hearty ground beef soup recipe simmering on your stove. It truly feeds your stomach AND soul!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by sauting carrots, celery and shallot or onion in butter until crisp-tender, seasoning with my homemade seasoned salt and pepper. Add fresh garlic then saute until extremely fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Next add ground beef then break it up as it cooks. I prefer using a fattier ground beef like 85/15 or 80/20 because it stays tender in the soup after sauting/simmering, plus it adds a ton of flavor. You can either scoop out excess fat after sauting, or skim it off the top of the soup as it simmers.
Next add tomato sauce, beef stock or broth, and V8 vegetable juice which not only adds extra nutrition, but flavor too. Also toss in Italian seasoning, a bay leaf, a can of cut green beans, and frozen sweet corn.
Bring the soup to a bubble then add diced russet potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
That’s all she wrote! Remove the bay leaves then scoop this hearty, humble, absolutely DELICIOUS Hamburger Soup recipe into bowls and enjoy. Then go back for another bowl. And then another. You’ll see!
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Sweet Corn, Kielbasa and Potato Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Smoked Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup
- Cheesy Taco Soup
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Hamburger Soup
Description
Hamburger Soup from scratch is packed with flavor! This humble, satisfying soup recipe will bring you back for bowl after bowl.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot or small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- homemade seasoned salt and pepper (see notes)
- 1lb ground beef (I like 85/15 or 80/20)
- 4 cups (32oz) beef stock or broth
- 15oz can tomato sauce
- 15oz can cut green beans, drained
- 5.5oz can V8 original vegetable juice
- 1-1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 small russet potatoes (14oz), peeled and diced
Directions
- Heat butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, and shallot or onion, season with homemade seasoned salt and pepper, then saute for 3 minutes. Place a lid on top then cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic then saute until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat up to medium-high, add ground beef, season with more seasoned salt and pepper, then break it up as it cooks. If there is a lot of extra fat in the pot you can either scoop it out now with a spoon, or skim it off the top of the soup later.
- Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT potatoes then turn heat to high to bring soup to a bubble. Add potatoes then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You may put a lid on the pot near the end to help the potatoes soften if they’re taking too long.) Remove bay leaf then scoop soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Click here for my Homemade Seasoned Salt Recipe >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Carol 12.29.2023
Made this as per recipe with one small change: I had no green beans but I did have two small wedges of cooked cabbage, so I rough shopped that and added it in instead of the beans. I did make a batch of your seasoned salt and used that! So delicious!
Kristin 12.31.2023
Ooo I love that, Carol! I’ve been seeing so many recipes for roasted cabbage wedges lately that I can’t wait to try.
Lisa Landas 12.03.2023
Have a double batch simmering on the stove right now! My husband requested it as part of my pre hand surgery freezer stock up. It’s so delicious & comforting 😋
Kristin 12.04.2023
I’m so glad you love this soup, Lisa – wishing you a quick recovery, too!
Carol 01.03.2023
This is a really delicious, nutritious and a hearty soup! When my husband and I want something filled with veggies this is always our go-to! Thank you for your creation
Kristin 01.05.2023
Same here, Carol!! So glad you two enjoy it! :)
Shelly Stille 09.28.2022
This is such a good and easy recipe. Sitting here thinking about this soup I am now hungry for it!
Kristin 10.03.2022
Oh I’m so glad, Shelly!! I think about this one a lot too – SO GOOD!
Heather 01.21.2022
I made this soup the first time you posted it and it was so good! Thanks for reupping. One thing, MSG is NOT gross. Please do some research! :)
Kristin 01.21.2022
Thank you for pointing that out – I wrote this post in the fall of 2020, before I learned why MSG has/had been villainized. I will change the text immediately. Thanks for the heads up!
Karen Miller 01.10.2022
Made this soup and doubled the recipe. It is wonderful. So tasty. Tastes even better a day or two later. Absolutely a keeper.
Kristin 01.13.2022
I’m so thrilled you loved it, Karen! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Jana 10.15.2021
I’m very very late to this party, but people. Make.This.Soup. Very easy to make, from simple ingredients….and you won’t believe how good it tastes. Great little recipe, IG, and thank you! So glad I subbed to your beautiful site.
Crystal 01.22.2021
Have you tried to make this recipe using an instant pot?
Natalie 01.09.2021
We make this constantly throughout the cold winter months. New favorite soup!
kelli watson 10.25.2020
This was delicious!!!! Easy to make, packed with veggies can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today.
Sandy 10.20.2020
Going to give it a go with turkey and in my instant pot tomorrow – Will report back! Now what to do with the other seven cans of V8 juice. ?
Dandy 10.24.2020
Tasted great!! Husband went back for seconds, which is sayimg a lot. I only did about 10 minutes under pressure (not the “soup” button – which is 60 minutes). Ground turkey was a just fine replacement. Mine was a little salty, as I never know how much to use when it’s not cited so definitely wondering how much of the seasoned salt you used. (I made a container of your homemade stuff).
Heather 10.19.2020
This soup was so good! I made a few substitutions based on what I had but it was excellent!
Kristin 10.19.2020
Glad you were able to make it work, Heather! Thanks so much for your review and star rating!
Rachel in Iowa 10.18.2020
I made this today and it was delicious! Think it would freeze OK?
Kristin 10.19.2020
Thrilled to hear it, Rachel! I do think it would freeze well!
Kaycie Becker 10.14.2020
Love your recipes! Do you have nutritional info for your recipes?
Kristin 10.15.2020
Hi Kaycie, thank you so much! I recommend you use a service like My Fitness Pal if you need that info! :) https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Erica 10.11.2020
WOWZA!! This soup is so much more than just hamburger and veggies. There’s so much flavor in this one pot! We let ours simmer for a few hours. We just kept commenting throughout our meal how flavorful this soup was. We will definitely make it again!!
Kristin 10.12.2020
SO thrilled that you loved the soup, Erica! Thank you so much for your review and star rating!!
Becca 10.10.2020
Do you think this would work with ground chicken, and using chicken broth instead of beef broth? Any other modifications? Or not a good idea? Thanks!
Kristin 10.12.2020
I think that could work, Becca!
Becca 10.15.2020
It was delish made with the ground chicken and chicken broth!!
Theresa 10.09.2020
I just finished eating the last of my mom’s version oh hamburger soup which is a very similar recipe. We love it. So appreciate your gluten free recipes here in Iowa City.
Kristin 10.09.2020
So glad to hear it, Theresa! :) Have a great weekend!
Karen Clark 10.09.2020
I love all your stories and recipes! Gwendolyn is getting so big! I screen shot your pictures and send them to mom. She had a successful hip replacement last week at 89! Rehab now. So thankful. She LOVES SEEING PICTURES OF ALL OF YOU! Love to you all!!
Making your soup tonight!
Kristin 10.09.2020
Oh I’m so glad to hear her surgery went well!! Prayers for a quick and full recovery. Oh yes, the kids are getting so, so big – it’s unbelievable!! Hugs from us to you! <3
Jennifer 10.09.2020
This looks yummy! I grew up in Winterset, we lived near the cemetery, the parks were our play ground and we used to hike up to Clark’s tower all the time. Thanks for the memories!
Kristin 10.09.2020
I am so hoping to get back by myself or with Ben/friends to hike the trail – it is right up my alley!
Sara 10.09.2020
What a fun day! My brother used to live by Hogback Bridge and we would walk there-SO beautiful in the fall. Makes me want to road trip to Winterset!
And…totally making that soup this week. YAY for NO peas! :)
Kristin 10.09.2020
We passed by the Hogback Bridge sign on the way home! It was such a beautiful area and morning – I felt like we were in a Hallmark movie! ?
Sara 10.12.2020
We decided to take a little road trip there yesterday…not realizing it was *supposed* to be their annual covered bridge festival! There weren’t a ton of people but we hiked the in city park to the tower and had a picnic in the beautiful park. It was a perfect fall day! Thanks for the inspiration!
Kristin 10.15.2020
SO happy to hear this, Sara!!! Isn’t it just the most beautiful, relaxing place? So glad you were inspired to make the trip. Happy Fall!