I write frequently about really involved recipes as the cooking *process* is the part in which I’m really interested. That said, I do have a few meals I’ve acquired over time that are super fast and easy, as well as really yummy. I learned this one from my mother (thanks Mommy!), and I think it’s great addition to any family’s repertoire. My family loves it, it’s inexpensive, and most of the ingredients are often found on hand. Growing up, my mother made this using Campbell’s Beef Consommé [1] which is a beef broth condensed soup with tomato and gelatin added. I think it adds superior flavor over beef stock, but I’ve made it both ways, depending on what was on hand, with good results. I’ve also added the really really thin strips of egg noodles, which is a much more filling dish, but somewhere in the Atkins era, we started skipping those and never added them back. If you’re a noodle fan, I’d recommend cooking them separately then adding the cooked noodles to the soup. Let simmer five minutes with the added noodles then serve.
Hamburger Soup Recipe
2.5 lbs ground chuck
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5oz)
4 cans Campbell’s Beef Consomme (10oz)
1 can water
12 turns fresh ground pepper
In a large stock pot, brown ground beef on medium high heat. When you can see no more pink, use a spatula to push beef to one half of the pot, then add the diced onion to the other. Spread out your onion and stir each half every thirty seconds. Continue until onion is soft and beef is very brown. Use spatula to push beef and onions to one side, then tip pot to drain fat to the other side. Remove fat with a spoon and discard. Add tomatoes, consomme, water, and pepper to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 25 minutes, then serve and enjoy!