Ground Beef Soup
Ground Beef Soup is hearty and savory, made with lean ground beef, buttery gold potatoes, beef broth and veggies, ready in only 30 minutes!
Ground beef is the perfect ingredient for dinner on a budget when you’re still looking for something hearty and filling. For more ground beef recipes, check out this Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole and Dutch Oven Chili!
This hearty soup is really warm and filling while also being super cost effective with a few simple ingredients. Plus you have a complete meal in one pot, so less dishes after dinner! This can also be called “hamburger soup”, depending on who you ask because we’re using hamburger meat.
This is the perfect soup for the cooler months, while still being pretty quick to make on a busy weeknight after work. Serve with crusty gluten free bread and a fresh green salad on the side.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ground Beef. Try to choose a lean ground beef. Whatever fat comes off the beef while it’s being browned will be drained off. I usually go with about 90% lean.
Broth. Beef or vegetable broth will work for this recipe. Just make sure whatever broth you use is gluten free.
Potatoes. I always prefer to use gold potatoes, because they’re a good blend of waxy and starchy (considered an “all-purpose” potato). They hold up well in most recipes.
You can also use red potatoes or fingerling potatoes.
Onion. I use a regular yellow onion. You can also use a white onion, or a Vidalia onion.
Vegetables. This soup is really versatile, so you can add whatever vegetables you have in your kitchen. You can also throw leftover veggies in from the night before, just long enough for them to heat up.
For this recipe, I’m using carrots, potatoes, celery, and green beans. For an easier version, use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables. You can also add diced tomatoes or tomato sauce for a tomato-based savory broth.
Herbs and Spices. The herbs and spices are what adds a lot of flavor to the soup. We’re going to need onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and bay leaves. You can also add salt and black pepper to taste.
If you want to bring it up a notch, use fresh thyme instead of dried thyme. In general, fresh herbs will give you a better depth of flavor than dried ones.
Worcestershire Sauce. Double check that your Worcestershire sauce is gluten free.
GF Flour. A small amount of gluten free flour helps thicken the soup a little bit. You can leave this out if you don’t have it, or add another tablespoon if you like it thicker.
How to Make Ground Beef Soup
- In a large dutch oven or pot, add olive oil, onion, and celery. Cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add spices and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything together.
- Add in ground beef, stirring and breaking up the meat until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle gluten free flour on top of the beef mixture and stir everything together.
- Add potatoes, carrots, green beans, and bay leaves. Cover with broth and stir everything together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium or medium-low heat and simmer. Cook until potatoes are softened, about 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to add more flavor to this hearty meal, try deglazing the beef mixture with your favorite red wine. You can also swap out the garlic powder for 3-4 cloves garlic.
You can also try adding other spices, like Italian seasoning, or a can of tomato puree for a tomato based broth.
Beef stew is perfect for using up any leftover vegetables you have in your fridge. Try adding the traditional carrots, potatoes, peas, or celery.
For alternative options, you can add Brussels sprouts, fennel, leeks, green onions, bell peppers, or sweet potato. Or try some pinto beans or black beans for a more hearty stew.
You can also use frozen veggies, just add a few more minutes of cooking time if you add them cold.
Adding a few tablespoons of gluten free flour to the onions and ground beef before adding the broth can help thicken the stew. If you want it even thicker, add an additional tablespoon.
If you’ve already cooked your stew, add 1 cup of cold water to a measuring cup. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, breaking up any lumps. Slowly add to the soup while stirring, mixing everything together. As the cornstarch heats up, the soup will thicken.
Storage
Store ground beef soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze ground beef soup in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Wrap the container in an extra layer of plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
More Soups and Stews
- Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
- Classic Potato Leek Soup
- Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Cooking Tips
- Serve with crusty bread. I usually toast a gluten free baguette and cut it into slices. Sometimes I will add compound butter before toasting for more of a gluten free garlic bread.
- You can use this ground beef soup recipe for the crockpot. Make the recipe as-is until the ground beef is browned, then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Instead of the Italian spices and Worcestershire sauce, try using a packet of taco seasoning for a taco soup. Top the taco soup with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
- Make this a spicy soup by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. You can also try a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- This is my go-to soup with ground beef, but you can also use beef stew meat. Or leave the beef out entirely and just make it a vegetable soup. For a vegetable soup, use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
- You can use a big soup pot, but I like how the dutch oven works for soups and stews. You can also make this in the Instant Pot.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Ground Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 2 medium stalks celery , chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, gluten free
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lean
- 2 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour, 1:1
- 3 medium carrots , peeled and chopped
- 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups green beans , chopped
- 8 cups beef broth, gluten free
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or pot, add olive oil, onions, and celery. Cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add spices and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything together.
- Add in ground beef, stirring and breaking up the meat until browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully drain any grease from the bottom.
- Sprinkle gluten free flour on top of the beef mixture and stir everything together.
- Add potatoes, carrots, green beans, and bay leaves. Cover with broth and stir everything together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium or medium-low heat and simmer. Cook until potatoes are softened, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Notes
- If you want it thicker, add an additional tablespoon of gluten free flour to the beef before adding broth.
- Make this a spicy soup by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. You can also try a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
Nutrition
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
