I made this glorious hamburger soup one Sunday in winter for three very important reasons: One, it was so ding dang cold outside, all I could think about was soup. Two, church was canceled (Church? Canceled? I don't understand.) and I didn't have anything else to do. Three, I was hungry, man.
I love hamburger soup so much because it's meaty and hearty and flavorful and satisfying. Mmmmmm! It just feels good to eat it, and as a bonus, it always reminds me of my grandmother Ga-Ga.
And that always means it's going to be delicious.
Add any veggies you'd like to the soup: diced zucchini, corn kernels, cut green beans, or mushrooms.
Use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
Add peeled, diced parsnips or peeled, diced butternut squash to the soup.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
1. In a large pot, combine the meat, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until the meat is totally browned, then drain off and discard as much fat as you can.
Step 2
2. Add the tomatoes and their juices, bell peppers, and carrots. Throw in the potatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, parsley, oregano, and cayenne. Stir everything together, then bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 3
3. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not overly mushy. If the soup is too thick for your taste, just splash in a cup or two of beef broth until it's the consistency you like.
Step 4
4. Dish it up and serve it piping hot!
Make Ahead:
Step 5
For some reason, this soup always seems to taste better the next day! Feel free to make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. If soup is overly thick when reheated, add a little extra beef broth or water to thin it to your liking.
