It is quick, easy, inexpensive, and deeply satisfying to prepare this Hamburger Soup from Pioneer Woman. It is deliciously hearty because it is filled with ground beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, and bell peppers all tossed in a complex tomato broth enhanced with smoky barbecue flavors.

There are many reasons why this Hamburger Soup Recipe is a great option for making ahead, it reheats beautifully, and it is wonderfully versatile. You’ll surely be making this recipe again and again!

What is Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

This classic, all-American soup is made with lean ground beef, tangy tomato broth, and lots of vegetables. The taste and satisfaction of a juicy hamburger teamed with the comforting taste of tomato soup.

In addition to being quick and simple to prepare, it only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup is made with pantry-friendly ingredients for the sauce, and then you are free to add whatever veggies you like to it. Here is what you need:

• Lean ground beef: in addition to lean ground beef, I’ve also listed other protein options below.
• Potatoes: the other star of this hamburger soup recipe is the potato. Although you can make it without potatoes, I think potatoes take it to another level of deliciousness. The red potato doesn’t require peeling, and it retains its shape well. It would also be delicious with yukon gold potatoes. Russet potatoes can also be used, but you will have to peel them first, and they can get a little mealy. Whatever potatoes are available to you can be used in the end.
• Onion: use one small onion or one and a half teaspoons of onion powder.
• Carrots: it will take about 3 medium carrots to equal 1 1/2 cups.
• Celery: to make 1 1/2 cups of celery, you will need about three stalks. Cut your carrots and celery into pieces that are about 1/4 inch thick. As an alternative, you can purchase pre-chopped mirepoix by the jar, which contains chopped celery, carrots, and onion.
• Bell pepper: you can substitute zucchini or green beans for the bell pepper, or use whatever color you have on hand.
• Diced tomatoes: in addition to the traditional diced tomatoes, I like to use fire roasted diced tomatoes. It’s not that fire roasted tomatoes are spicy – they just mean they’ve been roasted, which gives them a complex smokiness. You can also use traditional diced tomatoes if you can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes.
• Beef broth: to control the salt, use reduced sodium beef broth.
• Tomato sauce: one plain 15 oz. Can of tomato sauce is all that is needed. It should not have any added seasoning.
• Spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and pepper are the seasonings we use in our hamburger soup. The chili powder adds earthy chili flavor, while the smoked paprika gives it a hint of smokiness.
• Herbs: the earthy flavor is rounded out with dried basil, dried parsley, and dried oregano. Although I prefer dried herbs, you are welcome to use fresh if you wish. You will need 3x as much fresh herbs as dried, and you should add them at the end of cooking so they remain potent.
• Barbecue flair: a mixture of mustard, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and liquid smoke, combined with tomato based broth, gives our hamburger soup a tangy, smoky flavor that cradles juicy beef, tender potatoes, and colorful veggies.

What Else Can You Add To Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

As I mentioned earlier, this Hamburger Soup is sort of a goulash- it’s fully customizable in terms of the add-ins. Regardless of what you add, remember to eliminate one of the existing ingredients to keep the proportions correct – or just add more water!

• Ground turkey: using turkey instead of beef may require you to add extra beef bouillon – my secret ingredient when I make turkey chili and turkey tacos. Your turkey will taste just like beef. If you add additional beef bouillon at the end of cooking, it will ensure the soup does not taste too salty.
• Other proteins: though this is a “Hamburger soup,” the flavorful seasoned broth is too good not to enjoy with other proteins as well! It’s possible to add shredded rotisserie chicken, minced chicken, sliced sausage, mini meatballs, etc.
• Pasta: potatoes can be substituted for 2 cups of uncooked pasta. After all the other ingredients are added to the soup, bring it to a simmer. Make sure to babysit your pasta and cook it just until al dente. The best pasta for soup are macaroni, shells, rotini, etc.
• Rice: you can substitute cooked rice for the potatoes, preferably wild rice or brown rice for the best texture. To make sure that the rice is properly cooked and the vegetables are not overcooked, cook the rice separately.
• Zucchini: zucchini should be added at the same time as the potatoes. Cut the zucchini on the thick side, at least 1/4″ chunks, since they cook the fastest.
• Green beans: green beans can be added at the same time as the potatoes.
• Corn: after the corn is cooked, you can add canned corn, frozen corn, or fresh corn and heat it through for a couple minutes.
• Cabbage: at the end of cooking, cover and simmer for 2 minutes, just until wilted, adding 2 cups cabbage along with the corn (if using).
• Beans: after the corn and/or cabbage (if using) have been cooked, stir in one (14.5 oz) can of rinsed and drained kidney beans or cannellin beans at the end of cooking.
• Spinach: once the potatoes are tender, add spinach, swiss chard, or baby kale and stir to wilt for one minute.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

1. Over medium-high heat, brown beef with onions, carrots, and celery in a Dutch oven or stock pot. As the beef cooks, prepare the potatoes and bell pepper. Drain all grease from the beef.
2. Add all remaining soup ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. Stirring occasionally, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 25 minutes, uncovered.
3. After the potatoes are tender, you can thin the soup to desired consistency by adding additional water or broth, but this soup is meant to be chunky. If desired, garnish individual servings with cheese.

How To Make Crockpot Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

You can use your slow cooker for an equally easy version of Crockpot Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup! It doesn’t save any time since you still have to brown the beef in the skillet, so it is best for occasions when you won’t be around and want to come home to a warm meal in the crockpot.

You can also make Hamburger Soup in the slow cooker by browning the hamburger, onions, celery, and carrots in a skillet, pouring off the excess grease, and then adding them to the slow cooker. Cover and cook the potatoes on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, depending on their tenderness. You will need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your slow cooker and your potatoes.

What to Serve with Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

In addition to this Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup, if you want a more well-rounded meal, pair it with your favorite green salad, a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or any of these homemade bread recipes:

• Ciabatta Bread
• Focaccia Bread
• Crusty Bread
• Cornbread With Creamed Corn
• Garlic Bread

How To Store And Reheat Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

• Storage: Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Stove: You can reheat large batches of Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup on the stove over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Microwave: Put individual servings of your Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup in a microwave-safe dish and cover with a lid or paper towel. Microwave for 90 seconds, stir and continue to microwave in 30-second intervals if necessary.

Can I Freeze Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

My personal preference is to not freeze potatoes because they can become mealy when they are frozen, but if that is what you want, you can certainly freeze this Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup.

To freeze Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup:

• Cool: Before freezing your Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup, let it cool completely.
• Package: Transfer soup to an airtight freezer bag or container. For individual servings, you may use sandwich bags. Remove any excess air to prevent freezer burn, and label.
• Freeze: You can freeze Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup for up to 3 months.
• Defrost/Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a microwave, crockpot, or stovetop.

Can I Prep Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup Ahead of Time?

In this Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup recipe, you don’t have to spend much time cooking; if you prep the ingredients ahead of time, the soup practically makes itself! Prepare any or all of the following ahead of time:

• Veggies: All of your veggies can be chopped in advance and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
• Potatoes: If you chop your potatoes in advance, keep them in water in the refrigerator to prevent discoloration. If you’d rather, wash and chop your potatoes while your beef browns.
• If you purchase mirepoix by the jar, much of the chopping is eliminated. Trader Joe’s mirepoix is a favorite of many friends who cook dump and simmer meals and keep it in their fridge.
• Everything else: All of the remaining soup ingredients can be mixed together and stored in an airtight container in the fridge after adding the veggies.

What Can I Do With Leftover Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup?

It is possible to thicken Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup to be more of a sauce-like consistency. try it:

• Stirred into the rice
• stuffed into peppers and roasted
• Over spaghetti squash or zoodles
• Served with baked potatoes
• Baked in zucchini boats with mozzarella on top
• Stuffed with savory crepes
• Served atop cheesy bread

Recipe Tips

• Can I use frozen vegetables? You can add frozen vegetable medleys to the soup along with the potatoes as an easy shortcut. There is no need to defrost.
• For how long does this Hamburger Soup need to cook? The Hamburger Vegetable Soup recipe takes about 25 minutes to simmer for 1-inch chunk potatoes, which I prefer to chop larger. You can chop the potatoes smaller so that the soup will cook more quickly.
• Is it possible to half this recipe? Absolutely! Since this Hamburger Soup will become a family favorite or personal favorite, even if you have leftovers, they will disappear without a trace! Plus, this Hamburger Soup makes fantastic leftovers!
• Is it possible to make it cheesy? Freshly shredded cheddar cheese can be stirred directly into Hamburger Soup to make it cheesy.
• Is it possible to thicken it? Sure! With a cornstarch slurry, you can thicken the soup to a stew-like consistency. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold broth or water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Slowly whisk it into the Hamburger Soup while it simmers. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.

FAQ Section

Try More Recipes:

• Chicken Poppyseed Casserole
• Crack Chicken Casserole

Pioneer Woman Hamburger Soup Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 403
• Total Fat 15g
• Saturated Fat 5.3g
• Trans Fat 0.6g
• Cholesterol 68mg
• Sodium 760mg
• Potassium 1360mg
• Total Carbohydrate 42g
• Dietary Fiber 8.9g
• Sugars 11g
• Protein 28g
• Vitamin A 135%
• Vitamin C 49%

Nutrition Facts Source: Source