I wasn’t sure I would have a recipe to post this week because I made so many dinners from last week’s What’s for Dinner Wednesday recipes. There were several pasta dishes last week which inspired me to make my own pasta dish using what I had on hand.
Spring is here, but it is still cool in Maryland. Cool enough that I made soup the other evening. I had some ground beef to use and pulled out this recipe which I hadn’t used in a while. I used 1 1/2 pounds ground beef because my boys like a meaty soup. After dinner, son #2 said, “That’s my favorite soup!” I made it in the pressure cooker, but it can also be done in the crock pot or on the stovetop.
Yield:
Hamburger Soup

Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 potatoes, peeled
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 cups water or broth
Instructions
Stovetop:
- Brown and drain the ground beef.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook until the vegetables are tender.
Crock Pot:
- Brown and drain the ground beef.
- Lightly sauté the onion.
- Dice the potatoes, slice the carrots and celery.
- Add everything to the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
Pressure Cooker:
- Brown and drain the ground beef.
- In pressure cooker combine water or broth, onion, potatoes (cut in 1/2 inch pieces), carrots and celery (whole) and bay leaf.
- Bring to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes.
- Bring pressure down under cold running water.
- Remove lid and slice the carrots and celery.
- Stir in the thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.
Yum! I think I’ll try this with my boys. Thanks! I hope I make it to the carnival this week, I have been out of town.
I feel naughty… I’m already leaving comments on others What’s for Dinner Wednesday blogs. It all looks so good. This is a great idea by the way. I could almost always make this soup (these ingredients are always on hand.) I’ll have to try it out.
That pasta dish looks great. A friend of mine used to make a soup like yours. She called it Hobo soup and said her grandfather made it during the Depression.
Brilliant! I love tasty, quick to put together and hands off cooking. I’m sneaking this into my menu this week for lunch.
This looks really good! Thanks for the recipe. I hardly ever make soups, but now I’m not sure why. It sounds so simple! I’ll have to give it a try soon.
This looks like a great hearty soup. I’ll have to try it, I think my daughter would love it. Thanks
That looks really good. I’ll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Okay, I'm trying this the stovetop way with leftover ground beef. Wish me luck! 🙂
I need a pressure cooker!
My grandma used to make this this soup when I lived with her as a small child. Trying the recipe out tonight. Thanks!
Looks real good.Can,t wait to try it!
I used a mixture of ground turkey & ground chicken instead of the ground beef. It was delicious! I made homemade bread to go with it. Perfect on a cold winter day.
This is what I had my mom make me for my birthday dinner, when I was sick, and on bone chilling winter days in Michigan. It is better the next day when all the vegetables may a thick broth. We always served it with bread and butter. I am 63 now and I still make it. Sometime the simplest recipes are the best!
OMG… I have been looking for a clear broth soup recipe for years to try to duplicate my ex husbands grand mothers “Hamburger Stew” recipe who passed away before I could get the recipe from her. This is the closest I’ve ever found. Oddly enough, she was from MD also, by way of eastern WVa. I was never quite sure if it was an actual recipe or just something she threw together to feed her family of 7 during their lean years. I’m so glad I found this recipe today. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Mary! Those old family recipes can be so comforting.