Veggie-Packed Whole30 Hamburger Soup

Hamburger soup is my go-to dinner plan when I forgot to plan! Most the of the ingredients are fridge and pantry staples, so I almost always have everything on hand. But more than that, this is an easy, nutrient dense, and 100% kid approved recipe that never lets me down. It’s a dinner hero! 

>>> Pin it now! Click here to pin this Hamburger Soup to your kid-friendly or Whole30 recipes board on Pinterest.

Ya know what’s a real pain in the butt? Finding Whole30 compliant dinner recipes that zero people in my house will complain about – little people and big people. I’ve been on a mission to uncover these culinary unicorns and I’m super pumped to share a few with you throughout the month. Because who wants to cook multiple meals every night on a Whole30? Nobody. That’s who.

Enter this veggie-packed, kid-friendly, super flavorful Whole30 Hamburger Soup! Parents love to cook it (because it’s so flippin’ easy) and kids love to eat it. I mean, it’s called hamburger soup.

This tried-and-true Whole30 soup recipe is made with ground beef and vegetables simmered in a savory tomato broth. I almost always have all of the supplies on hand (most are pantry and fridge staples), so it’s been a dinner hero on a number of occasions. It’s a freezer stash boss, and leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a week. This hamburger soup will become a family favorite – whether you’re on a Whole or not! 

How to Make Whole30 Hamburger Soup

Classic hamburger soup is made by simmering ground beef with veggies and a starch in a savory tomato-based broth. This Whole30 compliant version incorporates bell pepper, yukon gold potatoes, and fresh green beans, making it both colorful and nutrient dense. The resulting dish is more stew than soup, and is a hearty stick-to-your-ribs dinner that the entire family loves.

Start by browning a pound of ground beef in a dutch oven, or your preferred soup pot. Add a diced sweet onion and sautee until the onion is soft, followed by a couple cloves of minced garlic. Then add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and stir until it’s incorporated into the beef and onion.

Next you’ll add a whole slew of veggies, some potatoes, seasoning, tomatoes, and broth.

Add two large diced carrots, two large stalks of sliced celery, a diced bell pepper, and a couple of cubed yukon gold potatoes to the pot. Then add a can of pureed* tomatoes and a quart of beef broth. This turns out best if you have homemade bone broth (the resulting broth is so freaking velvety smooth and delicious), but store-bought works just fine. Just be sure to use a low-sodium brand so you can season to taste.

Stir in some dried herbs, salt and pepper, and top with a bay leaf. Let it simmer a good 20 minutes, until the potatoes and veggies are tender, but not mushy.

(*It’s important to use pureed tomatoes, not tomato puree. To make pureed tomatoes, I simply blend a can of diced tomatoes in the blender for 30 seconds. You can keep them whole if you’d rather not bother, but I like the flavor and texture of the finished soup so much better with pureed tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use a can of crushed tomatoes).

Finish the soup with a few cups of chopped green beans. I like fresh green beans for this recipe because they retain a little snap, but if you only have frozen they work too! Just give them a quick simmer (2 minutes should do it) instead of 5 minutes so they don’t get mushy.

Pluck out the bay leaf, ladle into soup bowls, and dig in. Hamburger soup is super filling, so we serve it on its own with perhaps a little seasonal fruit or a chunk of crusty sourdough bread (after Whole3 is done, of course). Your dinner hero awaits!

Dietary Accommodations, Variations, and Storage

• Naturally Whole30 and paleo
• Gluten free, dairy free, and nut free
• Incredibly nutrient dense with full servings of both Vitamins A and C
• Substitute ground turkey for ground beef
• The flavor is best with homemade bone broth (either beef or chicken), but good quality store-bought broth is totally fine! Choose a low sodium variety so you can season to taste.
• This recipe calls for pureed tomatoes, NOT tomato puree. I simply take a can of diced tomatoes and give them a quick whizz in the blender. If you’d rather not bother, use crushed tomatoes.
• Freezer friendly and meal prep friendly. For meal prep, portion into meal prep bowls and store in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat, microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave an additional 30 seconds at a time until desired temperature is reached. To freeze, store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

More Family Friendly Whole30 Recipes

• Whole30 Turkey Meatballs
• Carrot Apple Soup with Pecans and Thyme
• Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Thighs
• Nourishing Potato Onion Soup
• Flank Steak Skewers with Tomatoes and Pesto

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Whole30 Hamburger Soup

Classic hamburger soup is made by simmering ground beef with veggies and a starch in a savory tomato-based broth. This Whole30 compliant version incorporates bell pepper, yukon gold potatoes, and fresh green beans, making it both colorful and nutrient dense. The resulting dish is more stew than soup, and is a hearty stick-to-your-ribs dinner that the entire family loves. 

Course Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Calories 318 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large sweet onion diced to 1/2"
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 large carrots diced to 1/2"
• 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper seeds and stem removed, diced to 1/2"
• 12 oz yukon gold potato diced to 1/2"
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes pureed in the blender
• 1 quart beef broth
• 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 oz green beans trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the ground beef and sautee, stirring frequently to break into pieces, until browned and no longer pink, 6-7 minutes

2. Add the onion to the beef and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, 6-7 minutes.
   

3. Make a well in the center of the pot and add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about a minute.

4. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated into the beef and onions.

5. Add the carrot, celery, bell pepper, and potatoes, then top with the pureed tomatoes, beef broth, salt, pepper, and herbs. Give the soup a good stir, then top with a bay leaf.

6. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20 minutes.
   

7. Add the green beans, and stir into the soup. Simmer an additional 5 minutes until the green beans are cooked through. 
   

8. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.
   

Recipe Notes

• This recipe called for pureed tomatos, NOT tomato puree. To make pureed tomatoes, simply dump a can of diced tomatoes into your blender and blender for 30 seconds. 
• Frozen green beans can be substituted for fresh. Reduce simmering time to 2-3 minutes, until the green beans are just cooked through. 

Nutrition Facts

Whole30 Hamburger Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 318 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 47mg 16%

Sodium 767mg 32%

Potassium 744mg 21%

Total Carbohydrates 29g 10%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 10g

Protein 23g 46%

Vitamin A 93%

Vitamin C 217%

Calcium 8%

Iron 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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