Cowboy Hamburger Soup

Making a bowl of this flavorful, warming Cowboy Hamburger Soup is so simple. You'll love how this recipe warms you up from the inside out with its tender pieces of Yukon Gold potatoes, flavorful mixed veggies, and tongue waking fire-roasted tomatoes in a tasty ground beef broth mixture that's out of this world. 

This easy homemade Cowboy Hamburger Soup recipe is just that, flat out easy.

There is not much holding you back from enjoying a nice big bowl. You'll find this healthy family meal uses common pantry and freezer ingredients with no added sugar.

This Cowboy Hamburger Soup Recipe is truly a dinner winner for your family. You know you can fill their bellies and keep them full all night long. 

And you can double or triple the recipe to have some for leftovers and freezing for the future.

Wahoo, meal prep for the win!

Over the years we have seen so many different versions of Cowboy Hamburger Soup. So, from those various recipes, we have created a blend of our family's favorites. 

Then we took that recipe and gave it a special twist. For something real special, we like to add in a can of fire-roasted tomatoes to this recipe.

We definitely notice the little kick of flavor it adds to this Cowboy Vegetable Soup and it is totally something to write home about.

Why you'll love this recipe

• What is really unique about this recipe is its versatility.
• But not just in ingredients, but in ways that you can make this hearty Cowboy Soup. 
• Can be made on the stovetop or slow cooker.
• This soup can also be prepared ahead of time and placed in a cooler for road trips, then easily reheated in a hotel or airbnb.
• Pair this soup with a basket of toasted gluten free bread slices or Udi's French Baguettes served with dairy free butter.

Soup recipe ingredients + notes

• ground beef-- ground turkey could be substituted
• onion -- we use yellow onion.
• fresh garlic-- using a garlic press really helps bring out a nice garlic flavoring
• fire roasted diced tomatoes-- we enjoy the Muir Glen brand here. Traditional diced tomatoes work well too. The fire roasted flavor provides another level of flavor to this soup.
• tomato juice-- some readers have said that you can substitute this with V8 and it is pretty tasty.
• beef broth-- we recommend the Pacific Foods beef broth, you can purchase it here
• potatoes-- our favorite is Yukon Gold potatoes
• salt - we prefer to use kosher salt
• oregano leaves-- make sure to double check that your spices are gluten and dairy free. We recommend using this here.
• worcestershire sauce in the US, Lea & Perrins is gluten free and safe to use; in Canada check out the French brand. Always check your favorite brands to make sure they're allergen safe for your needs.
• corn frozen or canned work just fine.
• green beans frozen or canned work well.
• pepper- have you tried fresh crushed black pepper from a grinder?

Helpful recipe tools

• measuring cups- you'll find these in our kitchen
  nice set of knives for dicing ingredients- We use Zelite knives for easily cutting through those golden potatoes
• large size crockpot- we like using a crockpot like this one here.
• nice skillet for your beef- we love using cast iron skillets like this one here, especially for this delicious Cowboy Soup recipe with potatoes.

Can you make this easy cowboy hamburger soup in the slow cooker?

Absolutely. That is another thing we love about this delicious hamburger cowboy soup, it is so easy to make and you can make it in various ways, giving you options to choose from each day to see what works with your family and schedule. 

To get our regular How to Make Cowboy Soup instructions for the Stovetop, see our recipe card below!

How to Make Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup:

1. Brown and drain the ground beef. 
2. Then place all the rest of the prepped and ready-to-go ingredients in the slow cooker with the beef, on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Check potatoes for doneness.
3. Enjoy a hearty bowl of gluten free hamburger soup.

How long is hamburger soup good for? 

This tasty cowboy stew ground beef recipe, if stored properly in the refrigerator in proper airtight containers will keep for up to a week. 

If you want your cowboys soup to last longer, keep reading below for the safe freezer instructions.

It will last in the freezer for 3-4 months. Always remember to label and date your freezer meals, and transfer them in a freezer safe container once they're cooled down so you don't get extra moisture on the soup.

Can you add pasta to your easy cowboy soup? 

If you're looking to really make a full, robust meal out of this soup, you can surely add some gluten free pasta. 

Pro Tip: We recommend cooking the pasta separately from the soup and adding it right at the end. Otherwise, you'll end up with mushy, soggy pasta in your cowboy soup. 

Hamburger soup variations 

• add more veggies- feel free to substitute your favorite veggies such as mushrooms, peas, or carrots.
• trade out protein- Swap your ground beef for ground turkey or venison, etc. 
• swap broth- Trade your beef broth out for chicken broth or stock, beef stock, vegetable beef or stock, etc. 
• thicken it up even more- make this soup almost like a chili by including some beans. Kidney beans would be a great addition. 
• spice it up- for a real kick in the taste buds, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or chipotle sauce. Always make sure your sauces are gluten and dairy-free.  

Storage & reheat

Following this recipe makes a hearty batch. For our family of five, this size of recipe prepares enough for two meals. Enjoy leftovers the following day or freeze leftovers.

This is also a reminder that Cowboy Soup is a great recipe for meal prepping and a great prep ahead freezer meal. 

To store your leftover soup, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

5 reasons why this should be a prep ahead freezer meal recipe in your freezer

• easily stores in an iced cooler to take on road trips
• great for meal prep, prepping ahead, freezer meals so dinner later is ready, just needs to thaw. Make sure you're stocked on freezer safe storage bags and other freezer safe airtight containers.
• perfect to share with friends and family who need quick and easy meals (new mom and dads, grieving family and friends, those recovering from surgery, welcome to the neighborhood meals for new neighbors, etc.)
• easy to have leftovers for lunch later
• for college students needing a prepared dinner

More comfort food recipes

• potato corn chowder-- tender potato chunks with sweet corn, topped with bacon in a thick chowder
• taco tater tot skillet-- this flavorful, kid-friendly meal can be prepared in a skillet for easy clean up or in a baking dish.
• lasagna soup-- enjoy this easy one-pot soup with the perfect lasagna noodles, topped with a dollop of dairy free ricotta

More hearty gluten and dairy free dinner recipes

• lasagna skillet-- a one-pot meal that takes one of your favorite Italian dishes and really brings it to life. 
• shepherds pie -- a viral recipe all across Pinterest with delicious beef and veggie filling and homemade creamy mashed potato topping
• italian meatballs-- homemade Italian Meatballs that perfectly complete your favorite pasta dish or make an amazing Meatball sub. 
• everyones favorite lasagna-- a classic Italian dish that you can’t go wrong with. It's a constant crowd pleaser, great for meal prepping, and another fantastic freezer meal. 

Lastly

Cowboy Hamburger Soup is truly filling, incredibly easy to make, and tastes oh so comforting on chilly days. You'll find many more comforting recipes on our website that are allergen safe, gluten free and dairy free too. 

If you want more easy, filling recipes all in one spot, try checking out our Ebook Cookbook, The Classics. It's all your family favorite classic recipes made with gluten and dairy free ingredients. In the matter of a press of a button, you can get it sent straight to your inbox.

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We don't want you to miss out on the best of eating gluten and dairy free.

Eat well and feel well,

Jill

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