Hamburger soup is a basically a variation on vegetable soup. Actually, it IS vegetable soup with hamburger in it. This is what some cooks call a “dump” soup. You start off with your stock and your meat and then you just “dump” any leftover vegetables in it. A lot of times, I might have a handful of peas, corn or a few green beans left in a bag of frozen vegetables, too. Anything like that can be added to this soup. Another flavorful vegetable is turnips. People don’t eat those much, but in soups turnips lend a bit of zip. It’s a good way to try those vegetables you’ve always wondered about. What do parsnips taste like? What’s a rutabaga? Cut these in pieces small enough, kids will eat the stuff up and not even know what they’re eating. Hamburger soup is especially healthy precisely because of the wide variety of vegetables that are in it. My children are grown now, but my daughter still gets excited when I make Hamburger soup.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef, browned and rinse
- 32 oz of tomatoes, chopped up.
- 1 sm onion
- 2-3 sliced carrots
- 2 potatoes, cut in chunks
- celery stalks, cut in chunks
- 1/2 c. lima beans
- 1/4 c. barley
- any other veggies you like
- 1/2 tsp each of marjoram, curry, and basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 cups of beef broth
Put all ingredients into a stew pot. The amount of broth depends on how much liquid you like in your soup. Salt to taste. Cook on low for 1-2 hours. If you’re using a crock pot, cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with crackers or your favorite kind of bread.
Please keep checking back at my website for more easy recipes that are old fashioned, from scratch and even a little healthier than the mixes and cans and boxed stuff.