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Home » Recipes » Dish Type » Soups, Stew & Chili Recipes

Easy Hamburger Soup

Published: Mar 28, 2020 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Aug 22, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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Jump to Recipe
collage of 2 photos of hamburger soup
Pinterest Pin with white text on sage green background at top and bottom and photo of a bowl of hamburger soup in a lighter sage green bowl with a pot holder in the background

Aunt Joan handed me a 'care package' as we were walking out the door after that very first visit. But I had no idea what delight that margarine container held until I opened it the next day. "It's nothing fancy," she used to say. Oh but it was sooo much better than fancy; it was a warm refuge. It was this home cooked Easy Hamburger Soup recipe. You can't get full on fancy anyway...

Hamburger soup in a green bowl with pot holder in background

Unlike the Best of Bridge hamburger soup, this version has no barley and potatoes instead. It's an easy and Weight Watchers friendly hamburger soup @ 3 WW points on my plan. This soup is a great easy meal any time of the year but perfect for a chilly day.

Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔢WW Points
  • 📖 Variations & Substitutions
  • 🍽Equipment
  • 💭 Top Tip
  • 🌡️Storing
  • 🥗 Side Dishes
  • ⭐ Reviews
  • 📋Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe
  • 🥣More Soup Recipes!

I also happened to be a starving student at the time and not much of a cook. We had only moved to Calgary and away from my hometown a year earlier. And since home was 1700 km's away, dropping into Mom & Dad's for a home cooked meal was no longer an option. I was yearning for home cooking and in serious withdrawal. And wow - that hamburger soup encapsulated every comfort food vibe in existence! 

Joan was my husband's aunt and when we first moved to Calgary, her and Uncle Harry welcomed us with open arms, regularly having us over for family get-togethers, BBQ's and holiday dinner celebrations. It was so wonderful to have family to share those special times with. She was also an excellent cook.

Hamburger soup being held on a spoon

Joan was a huge fan of the The Best of Bridge cookbooks. And because of her I made it my mission to collect the entire series. This recipe is adapted from the Best of Bridge hamburger soup but I do a couple of things differently, including using potatoes instead of barley. I prefer potatoes because it's like hearty meat and potatoes in soup form and therefore the ultimate in comfort food!

🥘 Ingredients

This Easy Hamburger soup is a simple one-pot, hearty soup recipe, made with lean beef (hamburger), potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and a delicious flavorful broth and one that the whole family will love! I'm all about doing less dishes so being able to make a meal all in one pot is pure gold and another reason I love this soup! If you are looking for a one-pot soup that’s delicious, hearty healthy and economical (the reason why it's also known as "poor man's soup ", then you’ll love this one! It's also Weight Watchers friendly!

For this recipe, you'll need basic ingredients:

  • extra lean ground beef
  • carrots 
  • potatoes
  • onion
  • beef bouillon
  • water
  • bay leaves
  • celery
  • tomato soup
  • garlic
  • canned tomatoes
  • thyme
  • salt and black pepper to taste

*please see recipe card for quantities

🔢WW Points

If potatoes are a zero (0) point food for you too, congratulations - you scored! This Weight Watchers friendly hamburger soup is 3 WW points on my plan because I won the food lottery and have potatoes as a 0 point food. You can plug the ingredients into the recipe builder in the ww app to see how many points this recipe is on your plan.

📖 Variations & Substitutions

  • Ground Beef/hamburger: further lighten it up/make it more WW friendly with ground turkey or chicken
  • Potatoes: you could use red potatoes, russet potatoes, Yukon potatoes or barley or macaroni instead
  • Vegetables: you could add different vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, peas, mixed frozen vegetables or zucchini. * I often keep 2 cup bags of frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer and drop them right into soups like this!
  • Onions - you could you white or yellow onion
  • Spicy - add a little chili powder to spice it up!

🍽Equipment

You'll need a large stock pot and a skillet or a Dutch oven (affiliate link).

💭 Top Tip

Why you don't need to peel your potatoes

As you can see from the photos, I don't peel potatoes for this hamburger soup. If you are peeling your potatoes, unless you really enjoy extra work, you can stop now. It's the most nutrient filled part of the potato so why would you want to peel all those nutrients away and add more unnecessary waste to the environment? Potato peels contain more iron than the flesh of the potatoes and they're also a good source of fiber, vitamin B, and vitamin C. And I don't know about you, but I really hate peeling potatoes. Maybe it was the endless buckets I peeled at my grandparents farm when I was a kid. Or the zillion I peeled that summer I worked at the fly-in fishing camp. But I'm guessing I'm not alone in my loathing of this task.  You can read more about why you don't need to peel your potatoes HERE and HERE. 

🌡️Storing

How long is hamburger soup good for in the fridge?

Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge and frozen for up to 3 months.  Reheat it in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.

hamburger soup in green bowls with additional bowls in the background

🥗 Side Dishes

What to serve with Hamburger Soup

Crusty bread, biscuits and salads make great sides for Hamburger soup!

  • Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe (WW friendly) shown below
  • Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks
  • Bread Machine Onion & Olive Bread
  • Baking Powder Biscuits
  • Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing
6 pieces of everything bagel cloud bread stacked on top of each other

Joan continued to fill us with delicious, non-fancy and nourishing food, as well as sending us home with delightful 'care packages' for many years. And eventually I began to make this ground beef soup myself. I love soup with ground beef in it because it just makes soup that much more filling so that it's an actual meal. My Carrot Soup (shown below) and Shortcut Borscht are also soups made with ground beef so they’re a meal as well!

creamy carrot soup in a white bowl with bread on a plate in the background

Sadly, Joan passed away over a decade ago. So, in order to honor her memory I continue to cook several of her recipes,  like this easy beef and potato soup and her Turnip & Apple Casserole  as well as her Tuna Melts (shown below). Because cooking her food is my way of remembering her.

Open faced tuna melts on parchment paper covered baking sheet

My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)


So if you are looking for easy soup recipes,

⭐ Reviews

Did you make this hearty hamburger soup? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

Hamburger soup in a green bowl with pot holder in background
Food Meandering Logo

📋Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe

This Easy Hamburger soup is a simple one-pot, hearty soup made without barley, with hamburger, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and a delicious tomato broth. It's also Weight Watchers friendly.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner, lunch, main dish
Cuisine: American, Canadian, North American
Keyword: best of bridge, easy, hamburger, soup
Special Diet: Weight Watchers
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 198kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs extra lean ground beef
  • 1 cup carrots, grated * or substitute chopped carrots
  • 5 medium potatoes, chopped * I don't peel mine for this soup, but it's optional
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 tablespoon beef bouillon
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 sticks chopped celery
  • 10 ounce - can of tomato soup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced * or use minced garlic from jar equivalent measure
  • 28 ounce -can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Brown beef and onion in large pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Drain.
  • Add all other remaining ingredients to pot, then add ground beef with onion back to pot. . Simmer covered for 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked through (a fork can easily go through)
  • Serve with bread and butter or biscuits.

Notes

*Please see post contents for important recipe information and tips!
Nutrition Facts
📋Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 198 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 313mg14%
Potassium 1041mg30%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 2352IU47%
Vitamin C 25mg30%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal (10%) | Carbohydrates: 23g (8%) | Protein: 19g (38%) | Fat: 4g (6%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Cholesterol: 42mg (14%) | Sodium: 313mg (14%) | Potassium: 1041mg (30%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 2352IU (47%) | Vitamin C: 25mg (30%) | Calcium: 76mg (8%) | Iron: 6mg (33%)
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
Rate this Recipe

🥣More Soup Recipes!

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  • Quick Asian Sesame Beef Noodle soup (Gluten-free)
  • Corn Chowder Soup (dairy-free)
  • Healthy Pumpkin Soup (no cream)
  • Ukrainian Shortcut Borscht Soup with Beef
  • Panzanella Pasta Soup
  • Easy Italian Wedding Soup
  • Red Lentil Spinach Soup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. farragio

    March 29, 2020 at 11:41 am

    What a lovely story about your Aunt Joan, and the recipe sounds delicious. I'm what I call a lazy cook so I, too, am all about doing less dishes and this recipe is right up my alley!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      March 29, 2020 at 5:12 pm

      thanks - I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  2. Laura

    April 03, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    Aunt Joan sounds like a wonderful person and a great cook.

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      April 04, 2020 at 7:31 am

      She was - miss her!

      Reply
  3. Caroline

    April 04, 2020 at 5:05 am

    What a lovely story - it's always great when recipes bring back memories, I think, and comfort foods are so often up there. This looks like it would be wonderfully filling and perfect as a hungry student!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      April 04, 2020 at 7:32 am

      thanks, Caroline!

      Reply
  4. Sue Ringsdorf

    April 04, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    My mom used to make a great hamburger soup and I miss it. So I'll be making this one SOON!

    Reply
  5. Carlos Leo

    April 04, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    It's the first time that I heard of hamburger soup and I'm loving it!
    All the goodness in one delicious bowl!

    Reply
  6. Eileen Kelly

    April 04, 2020 at 4:46 pm

    Thank you to your Aunt Joan for being a great aunt and sharing this wonderful soup. It is so nice to have great memories and the family love of food to continue always.

    Reply
  7. colleen kennedy

    April 05, 2020 at 7:59 am

    Isn't that the best?? When you know your way around the kitchen well and someone excites you with their food that they give you or you taste at a gathering. Yay Aunt Joan!

    Reply
  8. Ariella

    April 05, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    Great for those nights that you just want a soup for dinner.

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      April 07, 2020 at 8:21 pm

      yes, it's perfect for those days!

      Reply

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I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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