Easy Stovetop Hamburger Soup (Whole30, Gluten Free)

Using ground beef, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and broth, this hamburger soup is simple, flavorful, low carb, and Whole30-friendly!

Hamburger Soup: Simple, Quick, and Fuss-Free!

As much as I love to dive into a new kitchen project, it's just as important to have quick go-to meals in your back pocket. Hamburger soup is one of those meals — versatile, affordable, and flavorful, it uses ingredients you probably already have on hand!

As is, the recipe is gluten free, keto-friendly (just omit the potatoes), dairy free, and Whole30. But one of the best parts? Hamburger soup is crazy versatile and I'll give you a few tips on how you can customize the recipe to fit your tastes.

Ingredient notes for hamburger soup

Most good soups start with mirepoix, a flavor base made of diced vegetables cooked over low heat until softened. Typically, that's a mixture of carrots, celery, and onion — and that's exactly what starts off this hamburger soup recipe.

Beyond the carrots, onion, and celery, you'll of course need lean ground beef. Get the leanest ground beef you can; the soup can be somewhat greasy if there's more fat in the ground beef. Not a dealbreaker for me, but worth noting!

Next, we have the rest of the veggies, including tomato paste to boost the flavor, diced tomatoes, russet potatoes, and bell peppers. I also like to throw in thyme and oregano to elevate the broth a bit — use fresh if you can but dried works just fine, too!

Finally, I can't forget to mention the broth. Beef broth is preferred (ground beef + beef broth just makes sense), but if you only have chicken broth on hand, go for it.

I highly recommend getting high-quality broths like Kettle & Fire's broths to boost the overall flavor. If you're keeping this soup Whole30, make sure you read the labels of whatever you're buying — you'd be surprised how many broths have added ingredients!

How to make hamburger soup

Get out a big Dutch oven (my favorite is my Misen Dutch Oven!) and brown the ground beef over medium heat. I always do this first so you avoid overcooking and mashing up the veggies. Once the ground beef is broken up and mostly browned, you can remove it to a bowl and set it aside.

Add the mirepoix — carrots, onion, celery — and cook them until they soften.

Good soup is all about building flavor. Because of that, I like to add the tomato paste along with the garlic and bell pepper. Stir to coat the veggies in the tomato paste, and watch carefully so it doesn't burn. But the added flavor from cooking the tomato paste a bit in this way pays off!

Finally, add the spices, broth, diced tomatoes, ground beef, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender throughout.

At this point, taste and add more salt, pepper, or spices as necessary.

Can I make this soup in a crockpot instead?

Yes, you sure can! This is the kind of soup that benefits from a longer cook time so the flavors can meld.

For best results, I still recommend cooking the mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) in a pot or skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. Bonus if you do this with the ground beef as well. However, if you're in a HUGE rush, you can just throw everything in the crockpot!

Once it's in the slow cooker, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Of course, I recommend the LOW and slow route!

Alterations, variations, and more ways to customize

As mentioned above, one of the best parts of a recipe like this one is how easily you can customize it! Here are some ways you can alter this recipe:

• Omit the potatoes for an even more low carb, keto-friendly soup.
• Add more veggies or use different ones. Green beans, corn, or peas would work well for this soup!
• Instead of potatoes, try using pasta! Elbow pasta is an easy substitute.

More cozy gluten free soup recipes to try:

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