Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

My ground beef vegetable soup features an incredible depth of flavor in every warm and comforting bite, y’all! A versatile family favorite that feeds a crowd, this one-pot recipe is just as delectable as it is filling. Yep and yay…

Ground beef vegetable soup in a round white bowl alongside a rust-colored napkin and dried yellow rose.

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Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Warms, Soothes, and Satisfies

Ground beef vegetable soup is a complete meal that’s perfect for warming your body on a chilly evening. It’s also ideal for all-week meal planning, as it makes enough for eight servings and reheats to just-made deliciousness in minutes. So, it’s a great recipe to pre-make for busy weeknights, too.

I love this hamburger vegetable soup so much that I eat it year-round. The luxurious stewed tomato-infused broth warms me to my toes, while the hearty seasoned beef and tender vegetables keep me satiated for hours on end.

And the fact that I can switch up the ingredients using what I have on hand keeps this big-batch recipe a consistent staple around our house. Indeed.

Favorite Vegetables for Ground Beef Soup

I use a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables for this hamburger soup recipe. In a pinch, I’ll also use select canned vegetables. Since this dish is very forgiving, I don’t usually notice a huge difference in taste and texture if I have to use substitutions.

However, as a general rule, I use fresh potatoes, turnips, and cabbage. And, I use a frozen vegetable medley that includes corn, peas, and green beans. This is my go-to blend, which I also use for my other vegetable beef soup, made with stew meat or a chuck roast.

Top Recipe Tip

Peel and cut the potatoes and turnips into large chunks. Place them in medium-sized bowls and cover them with water. Then, refrigerate them until ready to use, draining the bowls just before adding them to the ground beef and vegetable soup. Alternatively, cut them right before you need them so that they will not turn black as you prepare the base of the soup.

Ground beef vegetable soup in a white cast iron Dutch oven.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Labeled ingredients for ground beef vegetable soup in bowls on a white marbled background.

Lean ground beef is ideal for this recipe because it doesn’t require draining. So, if you don’t have it on hand, you will likely need to drain the fat after you brown the meat and veggies together in the pot.
Chopped Cajun trinity veggies work in unison with the dried seasonings to add a South Louisiana twist to this hamburger vegetable soup. I wouldn’t skip them if I were you. However, if you can only use one, then use the onions.
Stewed tomatoes add just the right amount of tomatoey goodness to the soup without being overpowering. You can substitute tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes.
Chicken broth enhances the flavors of the vegetables and ground beef to perfection. Therefore, I highly recommend using it. However, you can still make the recipe if you only have beef broth on hand. The soup will still be tasty, although the rest of the flavors won’t be as pronounced.
Chopped cabbage lends this ground beef vegetable soup its old-fashioned feel. In my humble opinion, the sweet and savory nature of this key veggie really makes the soup. I honestly can’t even imagine making the soup without it. So, it really is worth a trip to the grocery store to pick up a small head of cabbage to experience this recipe in all of its glory.
Frozen vegetables can be added directly to the soup without thawing. Just break up any big clumps of frozen veggies before using to ensure that they don’t crowd the Dutch oven.

What to Serve with Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

This soup is so hearty that you can serve it without any sides or alongside freshly baked, crusty bread or biscuits.

However, if you’re like me, you’ll likely want to add cooked pasta to each bowl of soup. This simple addition takes the comfort food level all the way up, making each bowl incredibly filling and stretching the individual servings even further.

Ground beef vegetable soup with penne pasta in a round white bowl.

How to Make Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Step-by-Step

Pour the dried spices over the meat in a large bowl.

Dried spices over ground beef in a large white mixing bowl.

Mix to combine. Then, set aside.

Pour the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery into a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven. You can also use a soup or stock pot.

Chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery with butter and oil in a white cast iron Dutch oven.

Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the veggies are about halfway browned.

Add the seasoned ground beef to the pot.

Raw seasoned ground beef over browned vegetables in a Dutch oven.

Continue cooking until both the meat and the veggies are browned.

Browned ground beef and veggies in a pot.

Add the chopped cabbage to the mixture.

Raw chopped cabbage over the top of meat and chopped vegetables in a large Dutch oven.

The cabbage should wilt down into the browned vegetable and meat mixture in minutes.

When it does, add the minced garlic, and cook for just one minute, mixing it throughout the rest of the ingredients.

Minced garlic over wilted chopped cabbage and browned ground beef and chopped vegetables.

Add the stewed tomatoes and remaining vegetables to the pot.

Chopped vegetables, stewed tomatoes, and ground beef in a pot.

Cover with broth.

Finally, continue cooking the ground beef vegetable soup over medium-high heat until the turnips and potatoes are tender.

Ground beef vegetable soup ingredients in a pot with broth about to be boiled.

And that’s it, y’all!!

This ground beef vegetable soup dances along the tongue with perfectly seasoned meat, soft and tender veggies, and a slightly tomatoey, warm, and cozy broth. It’s sooo good, with each spoonful just as jam-packed with veggies and hamburger meat as the next.

The lusciousness of the cabbage really shines through in every bite, too. Its essence almost seems to envelop the other scrumptious veggies, lending a velvety, sweet contrast that complements the other savory vegetables splendidly. For sure!!

Share this ground beef vegetable soup with those who are just as happy with the planned event as they are with the unanticipated side adventure. Much food love, and see y’all on the yum side…

Closeup of a bowl of freshly made ground beef vegetable soup.

More Delicious, Stick-to-Your-Ribs Soups

Super rustic and comforting, this ground beef vegetable soup features browned, seasoned lean meat that injects scrumptious, soul-warming flavors into each hearty bite.

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Course: Main Dish/Soup

Cuisine: American/Cajun

Keyword: ground beef vegetable soup

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner

Ingredients

For the Seasoned Ground Beef

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste I used about ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

For the Soup

2 tablespoons high-heat olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery ribs, trimmed of white parts and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 fresh medium-sized cloves
1 small cabbage, cored and chopped about 4 to 5 cups chopped
2 12-ounce bags frozen vegetables
1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large turnip, peeled and chopped
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
9 cups chicken broth
additional salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste, optional
cooked pasta for serving, optional

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Instructions

Season the ground beef with the dried spices.
Brown the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery in the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat.
When the veggies are about halfway-browned, add the seasoned ground beef.
Continue cooking until the meat and vegetables are browned.
Pour the raw chopped cabbage on top.
Let cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cabbage has wilted into the mixture.
Stir the minced garlic into the mixture.
Add the frozen vegetables, potatoes, turnips, and stewed tomatoes to the pot, and stir until well incorporated.
Pour the chicken broth into the mixture, and stir until combined.
Cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes and turnips are very tender.

Notes

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze the leftovers in heavy-duty freezer bags or vacuum-seal bags for up to 3 months.
Add another cup or more of chicken broth if too much cooks out before the vegetables are tender.
Don’t overcrowd the pot, or the soup could take longer to cook. Transfer the soup to a larger pot to finish cooking, if necessary.
Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the soup is done. If not, the residual heat will cause too much of the broth to evaporate, leaving the soup too thick.
If you use cooked pasta, store the leftovers separately from the soup to avoid over-thickening the soup in the refrigerator or freezer.

The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.

See our full nutrition disclaimer here.