Slow Cooker Healthy Hamburger Soup

Packed to the max with veggies and full of flavor, this Slow Cooker Healthy Hamburger Soup is a hearty, Whole30-friendly recipe you’ll want to add to your menu! It’s perfect for meal prep and makes for a tasty cook once, eat twice (or multiple times) kind of a meal!

Literally packed to the max with veggies

A variety of starchy and non-starchy veggies combine with broth, seasonings, and tender chunks of ground beef to make this hearty, thick, and healthy slow cooker hamburger soup. Each serving provides 3-4 servings of vegetables, 7 grams of fiber, and 24 grams of protein. This is the kind of soup that will satisfy your hunger and your taste buds.

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Meal prep and freezer-friendly

I feel like I say this in every recipe post, but that’s because we love recipes that we can prep ahead and even freeze for further down the road, and we know you do too! We love a good cook once, eat twice (or multiple times) kind of a recipe. Healthy Hamburger Soup is a recipe you’ll want to add to a future meal prep, and it’s perfect for making and sharing with someone who could use a good, comforting, home-cooked meal—new mom, a friend or family member in a tough season, grandparent, or really anyone you want to share the real food love with.

Looking for guidance with meal planning? Check out Real Plans, a highly customizable online meal planning service that includes over 300 of our very own recipes.

Slow Cooker Healthy Hamburger Soup Ingredients

Feel free to change up the veggies with what you have on hand.

• Ground beef – feel free to substitute ground turkey or chicken.
• Sweet potato and Yukon gold potatoes – I really like the combination of sweet and Yukon potatoes, but if you wish, use one or the other.
• Yellow onion
• Green bell pepper
• Garlic clove
• Carrots 
• Celery 
• Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes – while the fire-roasted diced tomatoes add more flavor, you can certainly use regular canned tomatoes (crushed, petite, diced, etc.) if that’s what you have on hand.
• Tomato paste – this is what makes the soup nice and thick.
• Beef broth – for beef broth I like Bare Bones brand or Kettle and Fire, but use what you have on hand. You could also use chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth.
• Italian Seasoning 
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh green beans – frozen green beans could also work.
• Kale – definitely optional, but I love the extra veggies it adds. You could also use spinach.

How to make Healthy Hamburger Soup

It’s simple! Brown the beef, chop the veggies, and add everything except for the green beans and kale to the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 or so hours (or on high and cook for 4 or so hours). When you have an hour of cooking time left, toss in the kale and green beans. Serve with crackers, crusty bread, or Parmesan if you wish (this part is not Whole30 compliant).

Can I make it in the Instant Pot?

You can! While I haven’t tested this recipe in the Instant Pot, this is how I would make it:

1. Select ‘Sauté’ on the Instant Pot and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ground beef, garlic, onions, and bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the kale. Lock lid into place and flip valve to sealing position.
3. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow for 5-7 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
4. Remove lid. Turn the instant pot to sauté and stir in the kale. Continue to cook until kale is tender.

How to freeze Healthy Hamburger Soup

1. Make the soup.
2. Transfer to a couple of glass 9×13‘s to cool. We like using 9×13’s so that the soup can spread out and cool quicker. You can use any larger dish you have on hand. It could be even a big soup kettle or pot.
3. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container or bag (or two or three), like this one (holds 2-3 servings) or these ones. Be sure to leave a little room in the container or bag as the soup will expand a bit as it freezes.
4. Date the use-by date on the container and place it in the fridge. I like to set the use-by date for 3 months from the current date.

How to reheat Healthy Hamburger Soup from frozen

1. Thaw in a water bath of warmish water. Once it breaks up transfer to a pot or microwave-safe container. The soup will likely be in frozen chunks.
2. On the stove, heat over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil.
3. In the microwave, set microwave on low and microwave soup in the microwave-safe container for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, microwave in 1-minute increments on low until soup is nice and hot.

Other slow cooker veggie-filled soups

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Vegetables 

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili

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Let's Get Cookin'

Slow Cooker Healthy Hamburger Soup

A variety of starchy and non-starchy veggies combine with broth, seasonings and tender chunks of ground beef to make this hearty, thick and healthy slow cooker hamburger soup. Each serving provides 3-4 servings of vegetables, 7 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein.

• Author: Stacie Hassing
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings (1 3/4 cups) 1x

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 10 oz. Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 (14 oz.) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes 
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 quart beef broth + additional if needed
• 1 ½ Tbsp. Italian Seasoning 
• 1 tsp. sea salt (plus more to taste)
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 8 oz fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (can also use frozen green beans)
• 2 cups packed kale, chopped and tough stems removed

Instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat add the oil. Once hot add the ground beef, onion, green pepper and garlic cloves. Saute until ground beef is no longer pink. 
2. Next add everything to the slow cooker except for green beans and kale. 
3. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 
4. With about one hour of cooking time left, add the green beans and kale. If you prefer your soup to be thinner, feel free to add additional broth at this time. Cook until the green beans are tender.
5. Taste and season as needed before serving. 

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Select ‘Saute’ on the Instant Pot and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ground beef, garlic, onions, and bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
2. Add the rest of the ingredient except for the kale and green beans if using frozen. Note: add 2 cups of broth vs. 1 quart. Lock the lid into place and flip valve to sealing position.
3. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow for 5-7 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping value to venting position to release any remaining pressure.
4. Remove lid. Turn the instant pot to sauté and stir in the kale and frozen green beans. Continue to cook until kale is tender.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 3/4 cup (1/6 of recipe)
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 13 g
• Sodium: 850 mg
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 47 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Protein: 24 g

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.