How To Make Yummy Italian Hamburger Soup

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Loaded With Veggies In A Savory Tomato Broth

Two of our favorite soups are hamburger vegetable soup and minestrone, so I combined the best of both and created this Italian hamburger soup. We loved the result! Ground beef, plenty of vegetables, and Italian seasoning make a hearty supper, with V8 juice giving the tomato broth a head start on flavor.

This makes a generous batch, and I’m always glad to have soup waiting for another meal. Add some Parmesan cheese and a few crunchy croutons, and supper looks pretty inviting!

Back when I was a crazy busy working mom, I put together pot after pot of a soup we called Idiot soup. I know that name is wrong, but blame Peg Bracken, author of the I Hate To Cook cookbook. She started it - with her silly names for speedy recipes, like Shuttemup Cookies.

Peg's humor and creativity inspired me, and I would chuckle as I read her cookbook like a novel over breakfast. It is irreverent, hilarious, and a great snapshot of mid-century America when women began stepping out into the workforce and could be honest about their lack of interest in cooking. You can still buy her cookbook!

I never lost my love for cooking, but she sure did give me some great ideas for speeding things up! By the way, Idiot Soup is one or two pounds of seasoned, browned, and crumbled hamburger, three undrained cans of mixed vegetables, a pinch of brown sugar, and a bottle of V8 juice. It's not bad; it's pretty good, actually, and anyone can make it.

That's how I was inspired to use V8 juice as a base for my newly hatched Italian Hamburger soup recipe. We always use V8 in chili because it has so many different vegetable juices; it adds unbeatable flavor and nutrition, too!

Italian Hamburger Soup Makes A Big Pot With Plenty Of Wiggle Room

Use the vegetables you have and the ones your family likes. This is a good place for that little bit of frozen corn or spinach waiting for a purpose. It makes enough to share—or enjoy another night again when cooking is the last thing on your mind.

You'll love it because Italian hamburger soup is quick and easy to make; you can vary it depending on what you have in the cupboard, freezer, and fridge, and it's quick, hearty, and makes a big batch. That's awesome because it reheats well and is even better the next day.

How To Make Italian Hamburger Soup

Begin by browning and crumbling two pounds of hamburger with one medium chopped onion, three cloves of garlic, and a little olive oil. Fresh is always best, but if you need to use instant minced onion and garlic from a jar or powdered garlic, it's all good. Use your judgment to drain any excess fat.

Add a 46-ounce bottle of V8 juice, four large cubes of Knorr vegetable Bouillon (or about 1/4 cup Knorr Vegetable Flavor Base), and two quarts of water.

I'm very loyal to my favorite brands, but you can use other vegetable bouillon brands, like Better Than Bouillon, to make two quarts of vegetable broth.

Add about two cups each of chopped celery, carrots, potatoes, sugar, and Italian seasoning, and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Now add about a cup of frozen corn, one small sliced zucchini, a can of undrained green beans, and two cups or more of spinach. I happened to have some frozen spinach tucked away, which worked fine too. Let it simmer a little longer, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Add or leave out vegetables according to your preference and what you have on hand. For example, you could probably use pasta in place of potatoes.

Let it simmer until the veggies are cooked, and you can't wait any longer, then ladle it into bowls or mugs and top with a handful of shredded Parmesan for good measure!

As I waited impatiently for the soup to be ready, I spotted half of a baguette from last night's dinner on the counter and decided to make some croutons for our new soup.

I melted two tablespoons of butter with about the same amount of olive oil in a skillet and cut the bread into about 1-inch cubes. I tossed them into the skillet and stirred them over medium-high heat as they toasted and absorbed all the butter and olive oil.

As they cooked, I liberally sprinkled Alessi Dipping spices for olive oil over them. Sorry, I did not measure, but I estimate it was about two teaspoons or more. All I can say is wow! What a great way to top our new Italian hamburger soup!

Winter will soon be here in most of the country, and we get to choose how we'll deal with it. Maybe it's my Nordic genes, but me? I take it as a blessed opportunity to do some things I can't find time for during the rest of the year, whether organizing a closet, learning something new, or inventing a different soup!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Yield: 15 servings

Italian Hamburger Soup

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A hearty tomato-based hamburger and vegetable soup with an Italian flavor profile.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• One medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups sliced celery
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• One 14.5-ounce can green beans, undrained
• One small zucchini, sliced
• 2 cups spinach, fresh or frozen
• One 46-ounce bottle of V8 vegetable juice
• 1/4 cup Knorr Vegetable Flavor Base OR 4 large cubes of their vegetable bouillon
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Croutons for garnish, optional
• Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
• 1 small zucchini, sliced

Instructions

1. Brown and crumble the hamburger with olive oil, onion, and garlic.
2. Add V8 juice, water, vegetable bouillon, or a flavor base.
3. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, Italian seasoning, and sugar, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender.
4. Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for about ten more minutes.
5. ladle into bowl or mugs and garnish with croutons or shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Soup makes such a wonderful meal on a cold, dark evening! It makes the world seem brighter, doesn't it? If you have a favorite soup recipe, I'd love it if you would share it!

If you liked how this recipe turned out, I'd love it if you left a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or dropped me a note in the comments! It really helps my little business connect with people who cook and eat like us. Good food, minimal fuss. Thanks! ❤❤

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.

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