Slow Cooker Zesty Hamburger Soup that is super easy to make, and packs a ton of flavour. Perfect for a busy day where you want to set it and forget it!
Hi folks.
Okay I’m going to be honest with you all. I hesitated to post this. It’s so hard to take good photos of soup. So I was unsure this was blog worthy. After much (okay that’s a lie, let’s say a little) discussion on Facebook with some readers and fellow bloggers I decided to pop this up here. You may be saying “but why Lunie, the photo stinks”… well, it does BUT the recipe does not. So I’ve overcome my trepidation to post ugly soup photos in order to give you tasty recipes. You’re welcome!
Don’t you just want to slap the silly off me some days? It’s okay. I’m sillyunstoppable! Slap away!
So I made Hamburger Soup awhile back. Oddly that photo is better than this one even though I have a better camera now. Just goes to show it’s not the camera, it’s how you use it. Apparently I’ve lost my photo-mojo. Don’t panic though, I’m determined to fit in some time this week to read up how to improve my pics and quite possibly my attitude. Okay that’s another lie, my ‘tude will never change. But here’s hoping my photos do!
The last time I made this I followed a recipe which used some processed ingredients. Now I’m not saying I’ll never use processed ingredients again, but I am trying to cut back a bit on them since they tend to upset my IBS. I really liked the last recipe though, so I just tried to make it taste similar while eliminating the packaged stuff. I also wanted to give it a slightly Italian taste. So I amped up the spice a bit. This turned out great and I really enjoyed it. But again, I’m going to be really honest with you, it’s still not perfect. I want to play around with it some more and see if I can take it from great to stupendous. And that’s a tall order cuz how often do you hear someone come to a blog or food site and say “that’s stupendous” right. Never happens. I’m setting forth that challenge for myself right now. I WILL make this better and make at least one of you come by and say you tried it and it was “stupendous”. You heard it here first people. I’m bringing stupendous back. Or stupid. Maybe I’m confused. It could be all the drugs from the trip. I should probably check out dictionary.com right. Meh, nah, stupendous challenge is on. Bring it!
- 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
- 3 to 4 carrots chopped
- 3 to 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 4 to 5 cloves of garlic pressed
- 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 24 oz can tomato sauce, you can reduce to 14 oz if you like
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 cups beef broth I used 4 cups of water to 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Veggie Base
- Salt and Pepper to taste I leave out pepper since I don't like it
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 3 cups of cooked noodles I like Farfalle but any would work
- Optional: 1/2 to 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
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Brown your ground beef in a pan on the stove.
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Add your cooked ground beef, carrots, celery, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, pasta sauce, brown sugar and beef broth into the slow cooker. Turn on low.
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Give it a good stir, then add your salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Place lid on top and cook over low heat for about 6 to 8 hours depending on the size of your slow cooker. I always recommend checking it at the lowest time and make adjustments from there. If it needs more water during the cooking process or more seasoning you can adjust here and there as it cooks.
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When it's about an hour from finishing, put on a large pot of water and bring to a boil for the noodles. Drop them in once boiling and cook for time stated on package. I usually shave off about a minute since they continue to cook after.
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Don't rinse them, just lift them out with a large slotted spoon or ladle and place them in slow cooker. Mix it all up and add a little pasta water, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup and mix again. If you want parmesan add that now too. Let it cook together for about 20 minutes while you set the table or change into comfy clothes.
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Serve with a big old "this would not make a good photo" smile.
Make sure you adjust the time depending on the size of your slow cooker. Start checking in around 4 to 5 hours the first time to be sure.
Freaking tastes great. Not stupendous, but definitely getting closer.
Now tomorrow is a different story altogether. I have been promising you all fudge for days and taunting you with the recipe for about a week. Finally its hitting you tomorrow. Right smack in your stupendous face. Hope you all like it. Fudge is my nemesis. It’s also my kryptonite. I have no idea how it can be both, but it is. There are times I make it and its sheer perfection right out of the gate. Then there are times I make it and it seriously kicks my butt in a big way. I also have really high standards for my fudge. I want perfection and I’ll make ten thousand bazillion gazillion batches to get it right. Which usually leads to ten thousand bazillion gazillion pounds added to my butt it kicked. But it’s worth it to get that close to having someone say “stupendous fudge dude”. Like anyone ever uses the word stupendous. Or dude. Seriously, someone send me a Webster’s Dictionary. I need help!
Monster Fudge, pictured below:
Other Slow Cooker Recipes by Cravings of a Lunatic:
Manly Meaty Chili, pictured below:
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup, pictured below:
Hawaiian Pulled Pork, pictured below:
Spicy Nuts, pictured below:
Slow Cooker Taco Seasoned Pretzels, pictured below:
Toodles and smoochies! xx
Renee says
October 20, 2012 at 6:49 PMPhoto schmoto…I’m still back in the days of cookbooks that only a couple of photos for the entire book. I pick recipes to make based on the ingredients and if it sounds good. And this is one of those.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:19 AMAwe thanks Renee. You are too kind.
Anna@Crunchy Creamy Sweett says
October 20, 2012 at 7:02 PMI just rang your doorbell. Got my own bowl. Stupendous indeed! xoxo
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:20 AMYou’d be welcome at my door any time Anna. Thanks so much.
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says
October 20, 2012 at 7:18 PMYUMMMMM! SO right up my alley!
I’d even eat the carrots…
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:22 AMYah, long live carrot eaters.
Heather @ Bake, Run, Live says
October 20, 2012 at 7:26 PMForgive me for my photo naivety, but I think your pictures are great! They show that the soup has lots of colors and textures.
I hope you are starting to feel better!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:23 AMThanks so much Heather. I appreciate it.
I am doing much better. Almost normal.
Ann says
October 20, 2012 at 8:36 PMOh, man….I LOVE the photo! The soup looks absolutely amazing!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:23 AMThanks so much Ann.
Choc Chip Uru says
October 20, 2012 at 9:48 PMI definitely reckon your photos rock my friend, and the idea of hamburger in a soup form is awesome 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:25 AMThanks so much Uru. Love this soup. I’m determined to make it perfect.
kitchenriffs says
October 21, 2012 at 12:44 AMLooks like an interesting soup – definitely worth trying. Farfalle is a great choice for the pasta – so much texture. And I think the lack of texture is maybe why you’re disappointed with the photos? This soup has tremendous texture, but your photos aren’t showing it (the light is kinda flat). I love overhead shots, but if I were taking these I’d “scrap” the surface of the soup with a light from the side to show texture – you need a few more shadows, IMO, something to make the soup a bit more 3D. I’m probably all wrong here, but something to consider.
kitchenriffs says
October 21, 2012 at 1:20 AMI hate typos. Scrape, not scrap.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:29 AMHappens to the best of us. I tend to type fast so it happens often.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:28 AMThanks. I love farfalle, it’s such a great noodle. Thanks so much for the tip on how to get texture to show. I gotta try that. You are a genius.
Kate | Food Babbles says
October 21, 2012 at 9:22 AMThis soup looks awesome!! It can’t be that bad cause it made my mouth water after looking at it 😉 Sound wonderful and I’m putting it on my list of things to make this week! Bookmarked.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:30 AMThanks so much Kate. It’s a great soup. Just needs a little somethun somethun to amp it up a bit more.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
October 21, 2012 at 9:51 AMOK well now I’m too distracted thinking about that fudge so I can’t even talk about how yummy this soup sounds….
…fuuuudge
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:31 AMLol Kayle, I love your honesty.
cathy @ Noble Pig says
October 21, 2012 at 11:01 AMOh, this is going to be perfect in my new Ninja Slow Cooker, you can brown right in the pan…sweet! Your pic looks great by the way and yes it’s hard to make soup pretty in pics…so much glare.
Kim Bee says
October 21, 2012 at 12:07 PMCathy hold the phone, there’s a slow cooker that browns the meat? Why didn’t I get the memo? I totally have to check this out. I wonder if it’s sold in Canada yet, we always get stuck behind the times.
You are a genius, the glare comment made it occur to me to try my new filter the next time I photograph soup or stew. I just picked it up and haven’t used it yet. I bet it would help big time. Thanks for prompting my brain to click into “think” mode. xx
movita beaucoup says
October 21, 2012 at 11:10 AMI tried to photograph some French onion soup this summer, and it basically looks like… well, something that some animal hacked up. Sadly, I have a couple of wicked awesome (if I do say so myself) soup recipes that have crap photos to go along with them. So, I haven’t posted them yet. Sigh. Your photos up there are freakin’ miles ahead of the onion soup photos currently sitting on my computer. MILES. I would happily dive into your slow cooker to gets me some zesty hamburger soup!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:34 AMGlad to know I’m not the only one who thinks soups suck a$$ when it comes to photographs. So hard to get a good shot. Baby you can dive my slow cooker any time you want.
mellissa@ibreatheimhungry says
October 21, 2012 at 8:13 PMPictures look fine psycho – sheesh! 😉 Soup sounds and looks delicious! Points for using the word Zesty in the title. It sounds very sassy! ha ha!
Kim Bee says
October 21, 2012 at 10:59 PM*falls on the floor laughing* Oh man you crack me up.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:34 AMStill laughing at this one.
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
October 22, 2012 at 12:56 AMI love the title of this soup and you did a great job taking pictures of this soup because it looks hearty and delicious! At least there are several colors in this soup. I’ve tried to take pictures of completely brown food and I failed miserably. Love your comforting soup!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:35 AMThanks so much Nami. And I hear ya on the brown food, it’s so hard to photograph.
suzanne Perazzini says
October 22, 2012 at 12:57 AMNever heard of hamburger soup but it kind of makes sense – kind of.
I never realised it was diverticulitis that was causing you all your problems. Damn! I know that stress is a major factor in it flaring up. It’s a tough one to sort but living quietly and stress-free on a tropical island might help. You could give it a try.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:41 AMIt’s just a fun easy way to make soup.
Yup. I’ve had IBS for about 18 years. When I was in the hospital they finally told me it was diverticulitis. I knew something had changed in the last year. I just didn’t know what it was. Lots more pain. So hard to do stress free when life is constantly in flux. Hubs is laid off again so stress level is high right now. But I’m just trying to go with the flow.
Kristen says
October 22, 2012 at 6:18 AMI think that is a beautiful pot of soup. I am partial to hamburger soups and stews. Grew up on them and all that stuff. Still alive here. I owe you an email…I keep using my iPad instead of laptop. Typing with one finger is driving me nuts. Yours is the only blog I will comment on this way. You’re welcome;). Love ya!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:43 AMThey just scream American comfort food. Love them. And I’m not normally a soup gal.
I feel so special you type in a special way for me. xx
Matt Horbund - mmWine says
October 22, 2012 at 7:28 AMsounds like an easy way to make a hearty meal
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:44 AMThanks so much Matt.
Baker Street says
October 22, 2012 at 8:33 AMNow that’s my kinda soup! The pictures have me drooling, Kim! Can’t wait to try out this recipe 🙂
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 12:45 AMThanks so much my dear. I love these types of hearty soups. I’m normally not a big soup gal.
Ashley Bee says
October 22, 2012 at 10:34 AMLooks similar to the one I make, but mine comes out a bit thicker somehow. I think I use half the amount of broth and half V8 veggie juice and reduce it a bit. But still, delish!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:00 AMThat sounds amazing. I love hamburger soup.
Katerina says
October 22, 2012 at 12:30 PMTell me about how difficult it is to photograph specific food. And you want to show how delicious this food is and the photo stinks. But you see, if I go to the ingredients and the preparation I immediately can understand a real winner and this soup is exactly that!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:01 AMThanks so much Katerina. I really appreciate it.
Jill @ MadAboutMacarons says
October 22, 2012 at 12:41 PMWow – look at all the ingredients in there. This looks fabulous, Kim. Spice too. Great to stupendous? It is already! Hope you’re keeping well.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:02 AMThanks so much Jill. I am doing well. Hope you are doing great. We need to catch up.
Kate from Scratch says
October 22, 2012 at 1:34 PMThis sounds magnificent, Kim! I love slow cooker recipes, especially for this time of year. This recipe looks fantastic!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:03 AMThanks Kate. I love using my slow cooker. It’s the perfect time of year for them.
Colette @ JFF! says
October 22, 2012 at 2:14 PMSO yummy, esp now that the weather’s cooling off.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:04 AMThanks Colette. I love mine this time of year.
Rachel says
October 22, 2012 at 3:25 PMWow! This is awesome! Even though it is still in the 80s here, my cravings for soup are increasing. This just got added to the recipe list! Thanks!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:06 AMThanks Rachel. I love a good hearty soup. It’s been warm here the last couple of days. Loving it.
Vijitha says
October 23, 2012 at 12:16 PMI call this one pot wonder. I enjoy meals these, easy to fix and fills you up. This is my first here and I am loving your blog. I will be back for more recipes.
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:09 AMGood name for it. I am a big fan of easy. It’s what I most enjoy. So glad you found me.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
October 24, 2012 at 10:21 PMHamburger soup?!? Oh my!!
Kim Bee says
October 26, 2012 at 1:10 AMThanks Kiran.
Jen says
February 9, 2013 at 9:35 PMI made this for supper today and it was really, really good. It was a great post-run meal. I will definitely make it again. My husband and two out of three children liked it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Angela says
September 9, 2014 at 2:58 PMCan you tell me how much tomato sauce? Would it be an 8 oz. can or 14oz.? Thanks!
Kim Beaulieu says
September 9, 2014 at 9:18 PMI’ll edit that in and thanks for noticing it was missing. I actually use a big one. It’s 24 oz/1 lb 8 oz/680 grams. You can use tomato sauce or pasta sauce. You can totally reduce the amount if you like. The 14 oz would work wonderfully.
Kat says
January 26, 2015 at 7:01 AMHonestly it was the photo that made me stop and go “Oh my, I wish I had a bowl of THAT right now!” I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Kim Beaulieu says
January 27, 2015 at 12:05 AMYeah, I can’t hear that enough. Especially with older posts where I think the photos stink. So thanks for note. Feel free to jazz it up some more with spices if you like spicy food. I always err on the side of caution because some folks tolerance is lower than what ours is here.
Jayne Rossi-Elliott says
May 20, 2015 at 10:09 AMI made this delicious soup last night! Awesome – definitely a keeper! The only change I made was putting the uncooked Farfalle in 45 minutes before the soup was done. Worked perfectly! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Kim Beaulieu says
May 22, 2015 at 12:32 AMI am so thrilled you liked it. That is so nice to hear. This is just one of those recipes I love to make time & time again. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it’s much appreciated.
Jami says
March 31, 2016 at 11:54 AMThis looks so good!! I am making it right now in my slow cooker just with ground turkey instead of beef. 🙂
I seen in the comments that you have IBS/diverticulosis. I know what you are going through. I’m 23 and I’ve had IBS and Crohn’s Disease since about age 19. I had surgery for it a year ago. Doing a lot better now, but I still have the occasional flare. I find it hard incorporating veggies in my diet because raw veggies can be hard for people like us to digest! This is a great way to incorporate all kinds of cooked veggies!
Thanks for sharing the recipe and hope you’re doing well!!
Kim Beaulieu says
April 1, 2016 at 6:17 PMThanks for commenting Jami.
I’m so sorry to hear you have Crohn’s, that’s a tough disease to handle. Good for you for managing it the way you do. It’s not an easy task. It’s really hard to eat raw veggies with these illnesses. I tend to avoid salad like the plague. The darker the greens the more it hurts. I was tested again last year and my response to stimuli is insanely high. The spasms start as soon as anything rubs or touches as it moves through my colon. It drives me crazy, I’d love to just be normal. But in the grand scheme of things I’m lucky. I work from home so that eases a lot of pressure. Until I travel. I’m going away next weekend and I’m already worried about it. Crossing the border, flying and cab rides are all highly stressful so it’s going to be an interesting weekend. Hopefully once I get there things go smoothly. I’m really looking forward to going, it’s for a weekend photography class. I’m hoping it’s worth all the stress. Lol.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a note. It’s always nice to chat with other people who are living with similar issues. Makes me feel more normal.
Roxie says
February 21, 2018 at 1:39 PMI just stumbled upon this soup and blog! I don’t know if the soup is stupendous or not but intend to find out tonight! However, with that being said, I find your personality and ‘tude to be absolutely stupendous! Thanks for being so open and real!
Sam says
February 20, 2019 at 3:39 AMHow many servings is your zesty hamburger soup. I’m making some in a big roaster. Trying to serving 25 people
Kim Beaulieu says
May 21, 2019 at 3:00 PMHi Sam. It should feed 8 to 10. Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve been off work for some time.