Cooking a batch of Hamburger Soup Crock Pot-style should be highly rewarding as it is so easy to prepare. There are plenty of recipes to try in a crock pot yet this one is a classic American soup and should become a firm family favorite.
Like any hamburger recipe, you may want to add some bread rolls yet these will be for dipping in the delicious sauce. You can also add some shredded cheese, just as you would a cheeseburger.
Quick Answer: Hamburger Soup Crock Pot
Just like most crock pot recipes involving meat, you will need to brown off the ground beef first with some onion and a few seasonings. The bulk of the recipe comes later with bags of frozen mixed diced vegetables and cans of Tomato Basil soup (Also check out The Best Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup Recipe).
You can still switch up the recipe with some simple ingredient substitutes yet make sure the proportions remain the same. After that, simply put the lid on and let the crock pot work its magic.
Explaining Hamburger Soup
The thought of Hamburger Soup may be an alien concept to many yet it does come with the flavor of a hamburger. There’s still the key ingredient and that’s ground beef though it is a purely viscous dish.
A lot of the bulk of the soup is another soup (Tomato Basil) and frozen mixed vegetables. With a versatile base, you should be looking at changing up this recipe and there are several ways of doing so in a classic American soup recipe.
The Ingredients List
There is a whole lot of difference between making a batch of Hamburger Soup and creating a batch of delicious hamburgers. However, both recipes will use ground beef, yellow onion, salt, and pepper.
The liquid ingredients are crucial here as the Tomato Basil Soup will bring a lot of flavor, as will the Italian seasoning. Feel free to mix up your choice of diced vegetables as you can use whatever you fancy as long as the pieces are small enough.
While two pounds of ground beef may seem excessive, you will need all of it for that tasty, meaty richness. It is also advisable to use lean ground beef to ensure that the eventual soup has a reduced grease content.
The tomato base flavor comes wholly from the cans of Tomato Basil soup though you may want to use canned diced tomatoes instead if you cannot source the soup. That cup of water is also vital to ensure that the consistency remains soup-like.
Finally, a lot of the flavor will come from the powders and the Italian seasoning. You can also use different dried herbs like oregano.
Two pounds of ground beef
A small sweet yellow onion, diced
A teaspoon of salt
Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
Two teaspoons of Italian seasoning
A teaspoon of onion powder
Three chopped waxy potatoes or sweet potatoes
20 ounces of mixed diced frozen vegetables (this can be a mixture of carrots, sweetcorn pieces, green beans, and peas)
Two 19oz cans of Tomato Basil Soup
A cup of water
Making Hamburger Soup In A Crock Pot
If you have experience using a crock pot then creating a batch of Hamburger Soup should seem familiar. You will need to brown the ground beef, just as you would in a stew.
Once it is browned, you can pour it into the crock pot with the rest of your ingredients. This is not strictly a one-pot dish as you will need a large skillet first before using the crock pot.
Heat up a large skillet over a medium heat on the stove top.
Add the ground beef followed by the onion, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Break up the ground beef and ensure that it browns evenly and completely.
Drain off the excess fat and carefully pour it into the garbage.
Transfer the entire mixture from the large skillet into your crock pot.
Add the mixed diced frozen vegetables and give the mixture a stir.
Pour in the cans of Tomato Basil soup and then add the water before giving the mixture another stir.
Cook the mixture on low for between five and six hours or on high for between three and four hours.
About half an hour before the time is up, add the chopped waxy potatoes.
Once the time has elapsed, check the mixture and season it to taste before serving it hot.
How To Serve Hamburger Soup
Treat a batch of Hamburger Soup just like you would any other soup. Have a chopped-up baguette handy to soak up any of that delicious sauce.
The soup also goes well with cornbread, garlic bread, crusty bread, or buttered-up dinner rolls. You can even serve the soup plainly as it is by pouring ladles of it into bowls.
Once the Hamburger Soup has finished cooking in the crock pot, you can add different textures and flavors. That could include oyster crackers, crushed crackers, or chopped green onions for some color.
As this is a Hamburger Soup, you can expect some shredded cheese as this will melt nicely. A dollop or two of sour cream also works well, as does a sprinkling of Italian seasoning or dried oregano.
Recipe Variations For Hamburger Soup
Like any good recipe, there are plenty of variations to try to create your own twist. For Hamburger Soup, that includes the potatoes, the liquid, the meat, and the vegetables.
Use Different Potatoes
One of the simplest recipe variations for Hamburger Soup simply means changing up the potatoes. You can use Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet potatoes as the texture works in the soup.
Even consider using sweet potatoes, but make sure whichever potatoes you use, they are cut into half-inch cubes to ensure that they are evenly cooked.
Your Liquid Of Choice
To create a deeper flavor in the soup, try to use beef broth as opposed to water. For even more flavor, you can add a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Change Up The Meat
Though you should be expected to use ground beef in a recipe for Hamburger Soup, that does not have to be the case. You can switch up the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey, or any type of ground meat you desire.
To create a thicker, more substantial soup, you can use beef chuck instead of ground meat.
To create a more flavorful stew rather than a soup, you can use beef chuck and also throw in a can of diced tomatoes. Consider the consistency of the soup and the flavors by choosing either tomato sauce or fire-roasted tomatoes.
Use Different Vegetables
The vegetables that you select can also be changed to create different textures. Frozen peas may be a staple ingredient in your freezer and they can be used here. Green beans, bell pepper, and chopped celery stalks are also good options to consider too.
Final Thoughts
Hamburger Soup is such an easy recipe to make and it is a classic recipe in terms of American soups. Sure, it may have little in common with actual hamburgers yet both use ground beef, onion, as well as salt and pepper.
You can still use bread rolls too and shredded cheese also works well as an optional topping. However, part of the beauty of this recipe is how versatile it is as you can change up the ingredients and even the meat itself.
Try not to fool your children into thinking that the Hamburger Soup is a version of hamburgers as they may be disappointed. This recipe is ideal for a comforting, hearty meal as fall comes in so make sure that you get together for a large gathering.
You can serve the soup as it is in bowls or you can create a full meal with a few more dishes. Those can include roasted vegetables or simply a chopped-up baguette for dipping into the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Store Leftover Hamburger Soup?
You can create a large batch of Hamburger Soup by doubling up on the ingredients. Should you have any leftovers then they are quite easy to store.
Leave the batch to cool down and then ladle it in portions into individual airtight containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags to keep in the freezer for three months.
It can keep in the refrigerator for a full week and you only need to reheat it on the stovetop on a medium-low heat.
Why Should You Drain The Excess Fat After Browning It In Hamburger Soup?
It is recommended that you use lean ground beef in this Hamburger Soup recipe. The excess fat does need to be drained to reduce the fat content.
The fat can also give the soup a greasy texture which is not very nice when eaten. Also, if you have any leftover Hamburger Soup, the excess fat can solidify which does not look very appealing.
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