Hamburger Soup with Cabbage and Potatoes

Recipe updated: April 3rd, 2024

On a cold autumn or winter day, this hamburger soup with cabbage and potatoes really hits the spot! But this cabbage hamburger soup is not just for chilly days, you can serve this soup anytime you want throughout the year. This soup has a lot of cabbage, onions, carrots, potatoes, corn, and green beans in it. However, I must admit, the cabbage and potatoes are my favorite.

How about making this soup tonight? The recipe is super easy to follow, it tastes amazing, and it’s got some good stuff in it. It’s my favorite soup and it goes great with garlic bread or buttered biscuits.

🥣 Key Ingredients

• 20 cups water – we use tap water
• 3 pounds of lean ground beef
• 8 Russet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks (or baby potatoes or 8 to 9 red potatoes not peeled)
• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 yellow onions
• 3 cans of sliced or diced carrots
• 3 cans whole kernel corn
• 2 or 3 cans green beans – you can add 3 cans of green beans if you prefer
• 3 cups ketchup
• 5 teaspoons table salt
• 3 teaspoons of ground black pepper

👩‍🍳 How to Make Hamburger Soup with Cabbage and Potatoes

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

First of all, we make a big batch of this hamburger soup so we can have leftovers for the next couple of nights, that’s how much we love this delicious recipe. But, you can always make half of the recipe, or even less than that, if you prefer to make a smaller batch. Also, we will have many steps going at once. For example, getting the water to a boiling point, browning the hamburger, and preparing the vegetables.

Step 1. Fill a Pot with Water

Let’s start the pot of water. You’ll need one pot, a large stock pot, unless you are cutting the recipe in half, then a smaller pot will do. Fill the large pot with 20 cups of tap water.

Step 2. Add the Salt

Add 5 teaspoons of table salt together with the water, then stir thoroughly. Turn the heat on high until the water starts to boil. After the water has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high to keep the water boiling, but not running over or splashing out of the pot.

Step 3. Put the Ground Beef in a Frying Pan

While the water is coming to a boil, put 3 pounds of ground beef in a large frying pan. We use lean ground beef, but you can use whatever ground beef you prefer.

Step 4. Brown the Ground Beef

On medium-high heat, chop the ground beef in large chunks as it is browning in the frying pan so you get larger pieces of hamburger in the soup. This way you don’t have to make individual meatballs the old-fashioned way. I like to save time when I cook and make things as easy as possible.

Keep browning the ground beef until no pink is showing. The ground beef will take a little bit of time to brown, so keep an eye on it while we start the next step.

Note: You can roll the ground beef into meatball shapes and fry it that way, but it is easier to chop them into bigger chunks as they fry in the frying pan. Also, if medium-high heat becomes to hot, turn the burner down to medium heat.

Step 5. Peel the Potatoes

While the ground beef is still browning, with a potato peeler, peel 8 Russet potatoes. You can also use baby potatoes or 8 to 9 red potatoes not peeled, depending on your personal prefernce. We have made this hamburger soup using all three of these different potatoes – with peeled Russet potatoes, and baby potatoes or red potatoes not peeled. All ways taste the same. But, it is much easier and faster to skip the peeling. Not having to peel all the potatoes makes this stew a quick and easy meal when you are in a hurry. However, today we aren’t in a hurry, so we peeled 8 Russet potatoes.

Tip: To keep the potatoes from turning brown while you are preparing them, you can put them in a bowl of cold water, if you prefer, as you peel each potato.

Step 6. Cut the Potatoes

With a sharp knife, cut each potato into eighths. To do that, you will cut each potato in half, then cut those halves into half, and then one last time, cut those halves into half. That would be 8 pieces for each potato. If you cut the potatoes in smaller pieces, they will eventually dissolve in the soup. Also, if you use baby potatoes, don’t peel them, and just cut them one time in half.

Note: If you are doing the cold water thing, while you are cutting each potato, put them back into the bowl of cold water and set them aside for now.

Step 7. Chop the Onions

While the water is still coming to a boil, and the ground beef is browning, take the 2 yellow onions and cut them into chunks, slices, or diced, whichever you prefer. We cut ours into bigger chunks. Set the onions aside for now.

Step 8. Chop the Cabbage

After you are done chopping the onions, prepare the head of cabbage by rinsing it under cold water first, then cutting it into pieces with a sharp knife. Don’t cut the cabbage pieces too small or they will turn to mush after cooking in the hot water. Cabbage doesn’t take too long to become tender, so keep an eye on it after it is put into the hot water in a later step. But for now, set the chopped cabbage aside.

Step 9. Add the Potatoes to the Pot of Boiling Hot Water

Take the cut potatoes out of the cold water and put all of them into the large pot of hot boiling water, then cook about 15 to 20 minutes with the heat still on medium-high. Do not overcook. Reduce the heat to simmer after the potatoes are cooked.

Tip: A fork or toothpick should slide into the potato with ease, but not make the potato fall apart. If the potatoes are overcooked, they will become too soft and mushy.

Step 10. Add the Onions to the Water

Next, keep the heat at a medium heat and add the chopped onion we set aside earlier to the simmering pot of water together with the potatoes. Stir.

Step 11. Add the Sliced Cabbage to the Water

Add the cut-up cabbage to the pot of water together with the potatoes, and onions. Stir all of the ingredients together.

Step 12. Add the Cans of Vegetables and Black Pepper to the Water

Open 3 cans of whole kernel corn, 3 cans of sliced or diced carrots, and 2 or 3 cans of green beans and drain the liquid out of them. Then, add the corn, carrots, green beans, and 3 teaspoons of ground black pepper to the pot of hot water together with the potatoes, onions, and cabbage. After adding the black pepper, give the pot a good stir.

Note: If you decide to use raw baby carrots instead of canned, add them to the pot of hot water when the potatoes are added.

Step 13. Add the Ketchup to the Water

Pour 3 cups of ketchup into the pot of soup and stir together with all of the vegetables.

Step 14. Drain the Grease

After the ground beef is done browning, turn the heat off, then drain any unwanted grease from the frying pan.

Tip: An easy way to remove the unwanted grease from the frying pan is to move the ground beef to one side of the pan, then slightly tilt the pan and use a paper towel to sop up the grease. After that, discard the paper towel in the trash can. This method of removing grease from the frying pan is nicer on your drain pipes, allowing no grease down the drain.

Step 15. Add the Browned Ground Beef to the Pot

Add the browned ground beef together with the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Stir the contents. The pot is getting quite full at this point, but the ground beef is the last of the ingredients we will add to the pot. Of course, you can sprinkle some parsley flakes in the soup at this time, or if there is any other ingredient you would like to add. Continue to simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes or until the cabbage is tender and it’s time to eat.

This soup is best served with some sort of bread. Homemade bread, buttered rolls, or french bread are some great choices.

🌟 Recipe Variations

• Add anything extra to this soup that sounds good to you, such as sliced celery, a small can of tomato sauce instead of the ketchup, or a can of diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes.
• Add fresh vegetables instead of the canned vegetables such as baby carrots or whole green beans. If you do that, add them at the same time you add the cut up potatoes.
• Add extra beans such as lima beans, kidney beans, or black beans.
• Shake a little bit of red pepper flakes or pour just a bit of your favorite hot sauce on your bowl of hamburger soup. Easy does it though, they are hot but so good!
• This hamburger soup with cabbage and potatoes can easily be made in a slow cooker or instant pot.
• If you like more beef flavor in your soup, add one can of beef broth.
• Put a couple drops of Worcestershire sauce on your serving.
• Add some of your favorite fresh herbs or seasonings for extra flavor such as oregano, cayenne pepper (easy does it though), garlic powder, and then use fresh parsley or parsley flakes as a garnish.

❔ FAQs

💡 Final Thoughts

Hamburger soup with cabbage and potatoes is a delicious hearty soup with plenty of cabbage, potatoes, and veggies. This soup is also similar to stew, beef cabbage soup, or hamburger vegetable soup because of the added vegetables.

This hamburger soup has been a favorite of our family for years. When I first started making it years ago, I never added cabbage. Once I started adding the cabbage, I haven’t been able to stop! This meal is a delicious and satisfying dinner when you need something light, tasty, and budget-friendly too. Enjoy!

The next time you are looking for a hearty meal, one with basic ingreditents that’s delicious and satisfying, light, tasty, and budget-friendly too, this recipe is the perfect soup for you and your family.

📑 Recipe Card

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