Italian Hamburger Soup with Beef, Pasta, and Vegetables

Italian hamburger soup is an Italian-American-style one-pot soup made with ground beef, tomatoes, vegetables, broth, beans, and small pasta. The combination makes a filling, savory meal, and the pasta cooks right in the broth so it picks up the tomato and herb flavors; family and regional versions vary, and this is a flexible home-style version rather than a single traditional formula.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef, preferably 85% to 90% lean
1 medium yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
2 medium carrots, diced, about 1 cup (130 g)
2 celery ribs, diced, about 1 cup (100 g)
3 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon (9 g)
2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
2 teaspoons (about 2 g) dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 can (14.5 ounces/411 g) diced tomatoes, with their juices
6 cups (1.42 L) low-sodium beef broth
1 can (15 ounces/425 g) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed, about 1½ cups (255 g)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (about 100 g) dry small pasta, such as ditalini or small shells
2 packed cups (60 g) baby spinach, optional
½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery, mince the garlic, and drain and rinse the beans. Measure the seasonings and pasta so they are ready when needed. Allow about 18 minutes for this preparation; cutting the vegetables into similar-sized pieces helps them soften evenly.
Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the crumbles are browned. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS sets 160°F (71°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for ground beef. If there is a large amount of excess fat, carefully spoon some out, leaving a little in the pot for flavor.
Cook the vegetables and seasonings. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent and the vegetables start to soften. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot so the tomato paste darkens slightly without scorching. The complete vegetable step takes about 6 minutes.
Simmer the soup base. Pour in the diced tomatoes and beef broth, then add the beans, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 18 minutes. Keep it at a steady, gentle bubble rather than a vigorous boil; this gives the carrots time to become tender while keeping the beef from turning tough.
Cook the pasta in the soup. Stir in the dry pasta and simmer uncovered for the time on its package, usually about 10 minutes for small shapes. Stir every couple of minutes so the pasta does not settle and stick to the bottom. Test a piece near the end; it should be tender but not mushy. Remove and discard the bay leaf. If using spinach, stir it in during the final minute, just until wilted. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper.
Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with grated Parmesan. If the soup thickens while standing, stir in a splash of hot broth or water to loosen it before serving.

Tips

Cut vegetables evenly. Small, similar-sized pieces cook at roughly the same rate and are easier to eat with the pasta. Keep the carrots fairly small; larger chunks may still be firm when the pasta is ready.
Choose the right beef. Lean ground beef gives the soup plenty of savory flavor without leaving a greasy surface. If you use fattier beef, drain off the excess after browning, but leave a thin coating in the pot to help cook the vegetables.
Watch the pasta closely. Pasta continues to absorb broth after the heat is off, so start checking it at the earliest package time. For a soup you expect to store, see the storage tip below and cook pasta separately to prevent it from swelling.
Season gradually. Broth and canned tomatoes vary in saltiness. The measured salt is a starting point; taste after simmering and add more only as needed. If the soup tastes sharp, give it a few extra minutes at a gentle simmer before adding anything else.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot as a complete lunch or dinner, with Parmesan at the table so each person can add as much as they like. A piece of crusty bread, garlic bread, or toasted sourdough is useful for dipping up the tomato-rich broth. For a lighter side, pair it with a green salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar, or serve sliced cucumbers and radishes alongside.

If you are serving a group, keep extra broth warm nearby. Soup held on the stove or left in a serving bowl can thicken as the pasta soaks up liquid, and a small pour of broth restores a spoonable consistency. Set out red pepper flakes and extra black pepper for anyone who wants a little more heat. Parmesan is salty, so taste the finished bowl before adding more salt.

Variations

Swap the beans or vegetables. Cannellini beans have a mild, creamy texture; kidney beans hold their shape and taste a little earthier. Great Northern beans work too. You can add 1 cup (about 130 g) diced zucchini with the broth, or replace the spinach with 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas stirred in during the final few minutes. Avoid adding too many extra vegetables at once, since they can crowd the pot and reduce the amount of broth per serving.

Make it without beans. Leave them out and add another ½ cup (about 50 g) dry pasta, or keep the pasta quantity as written for a brothier bowl. To make the soup lighter in flavor, use a leaner ground beef and replace up to 2 cups (475 ml) of the beef broth with vegetable broth. The result will be less beefy but still savory.

Change the pasta or make it gluten-free. Ditalini, small shells, elbow macaroni, and other short shapes are easy to eat in a spoonful. Gluten-free pasta can be used, but its cooking time and texture vary by brand, so follow the package and check it early. For a lower-starch broth, cook any pasta separately and add it to bowls just before ladling in the soup.

Add a Parmesan rind if you have one. A 1-ounce (28 g) rind can simmer with the broth and be removed with the bay leaf before serving. It adds a deeper, gently savory cheese note. It is optional and not necessary for the soup to work; if you do not have one, simply finish each bowl with grated Parmesan.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Because cooked pasta continues to absorb broth, the noodles will be softer the next day and the soup will be thicker; add a little water or broth as you reheat it.

For the best texture when planning ahead, store the soup base and cooked pasta separately, then combine portions when serving. Reheat soup on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is steaming throughout and reaches 165°F (74°C); check with a food thermometer. In a microwave, cover the bowl loosely, stir partway through, and heat until the center reaches the same temperature. Freeze the soup base for up to 3 months for best quality, preferably without pasta. Thaw in the refrigerator and cook fresh pasta for serving. Do not leave cooked soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Italian hamburger soup ahead of time?

Yes. You can prepare the soup through the simmering step, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days. For the closest-to-fresh pasta texture, cook the pasta separately and stir it into each portion as you reheat. If you cook the pasta in the pot ahead, expect it to soften and absorb some broth as it sits.

Can I use a different kind of ground meat?

Ground turkey or chicken can replace the beef, though the broth will taste milder; use beef broth for a more savory result or chicken broth for a lighter one. Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. Ground pork is another option and should reach 160°F (71°C). Brown whichever meat you choose thoroughly before adding the vegetables.

Why did my soup become too thick?

The pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks and continues doing so while the soup stands, so a thicker consistency is common, especially with leftovers. Stir in hot broth or water a little at a time until it is as soupy as you like, then taste and adjust the seasoning. If it thickened during cooking, check that the pot was not boiling too vigorously and that the pasta was not cooked longer than its package suggests.

Can I cook the pasta separately?

Absolutely. Boil it in a separate pot according to the package directions, drain it, and add it to bowls or stir it into the soup just before serving. This keeps the broth clearer and makes the leftovers easier to store. It is also helpful if people want different amounts of pasta or if you are using a gluten-free shape with a different cooking time.

What can I use instead of Italian seasoning?

Use 1 teaspoon (about 1 g) dried oregano and 1 teaspoon (about 1 g) dried basil in place of the 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. The exact herb blend changes from one seasoning mix to another, so the soup may taste a little more basil-forward or oregano-forward. If you have neither, dried oregano alone works; add it with the tomato paste so it has a moment to release its aroma.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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