Hearty Instant Pot Hamburger Soup recipe with macaroni and tons of sneaky vegetables. Perfect for a weekday meal and kid-approved!
This recipe was a huge win from the get go. I made it about 4 times, testing the recipe with different herbs and levels of vegetables, for a win every single time. It’s was the first time my kids really got behind a “soup” (even though this is more like a stew). Hamburger soup is great for kids and this vegetable packed version has all the flavours kids love, but is much more wholesome.
I really like using a pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, for soup and stews – it concentrates the flavours makes them all meld together in a wonderful way and this Hamburger Soup recipe is no exception. Lots of flavourful veggies like carrots, onion and celery that give the foundation flavours much more lift. Plus, there’s a whack of spinach added at the end for an extra wholesome feel.
It’s a great meal when the vegetables outweigh all the other ingredients … ideal in my opinion. The more vegetables I can work into (“sneak into”) a meal makes me feel better about the other meals that end up lacking.
What to put in a Hamburger Soup?
First, ground beef. This is a great way to use ground beef with some added nutrition of all these vegetables. Secondly, a Hamburger Soup needs those cozy hamburger herbs to elevate it. Herbs like oregano and/or basil. Garlic powder is also not to be missed, lending the soup a well seasoned flavour.
Salt. I used regular beef broth in this recipe which contains quite a bit of sodium (aka salt). If you’re using a reduced, low salt, or no-salt broth I’d recommend adding some salt at the end (start with 1/2 tsp and add a bit more, tasting as you go).
Macaroni or potatoes. If you’d prefer to go gluten-free with this dish and want the added nutrition from potatoes, chop them up small and add them with the carrots and onions. My kids are pasta freaks so the decision was an easy one for me.
What to serve with Hamburger Soup:
- Garlic Bread
- Kid-friendly Salad
- Pull Apart Bread
- Cucumber and Watermelon Salad
- 5 Ingredient Winter Salad
More Instant Pot Soup recipes:
- Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Fricassee
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Easy and packed with vegetables Instant Pot Hamburger Soup with macaroni.
- 1 lbs (454 gr) extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow cooking onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalkes (pieces) celery, finely chopped
- 2 larger carrots, peeled and chopped
- 28 oz (796 ml) can crushed tomatoes
- 8 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 cups dried macaroni pasta or other small pasta of choice
- 5 oz (142 gr) baby spinach*, roughly chopped (equals one clamshell)
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Set Instant Pot ("IP**") to Sauté and add ground beef. Sauté , breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon for about 5-7 minutes until meat is in small chunks and starting to brown. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for 2 minutes until vegetables just start to soften and most of the meat is brown.
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Add tomatoes, broth, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and pasta to Instant Pot. Close lid and set valve to sealed position.
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Cook at High pressure 4 minutes. Use quick release to release steam.
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Carefully remove lid and add spinach, stirring to combine.
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Allow soup to cool for approximately 10 minutes (it's incredibly hot! Be careful when serving to children).
* Not everyone loves spinach. Feel free to swap out with frozen corn or frozen green beans - just be sure to add to the IP with the pasta.
** My Instant Pot is a 6 quart.
*** STOVE TOP Method:
- Sauté beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking up with wooden spoon until meat is browned, about 5-7 min.
- Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables just begin to soften, around 3-4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, broth, garlic powder, oregano, and basil to pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (9-11 minutes for dried macaroni noodles).
- Add spinach and remove from heat.
Enjoy! xo
