Easy Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew (Hamburger Soup)

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🍲 The “Kitchen Sink” Poor Man’s Stew

This is a thick, chunky soup-stew hybrid. It is traditionally very vegetable-heavy, making that one pound of beef go incredibly far.

CategoryDetails
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6–8 hours (Low)
Total Time8+ hours
Yield8 servings

🍴 Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground Beef (Lean is better for slow cooking)
  • 1 Large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 3 Large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 cups Carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced tomatoes (with juices)
  • 1 can (15 oz) Green beans, drained (or 1 cup frozen)
  • 4 cups Beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano & 1 tsp Dried basil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. The Flavor Foundations

  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.
  • Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and basil. Cook for 2 minutes until the tomato paste turns a deep brick-red. This is your flavor “concentrate.”

2. The Slow Cooker Dump

  • Transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker.
  • Add the potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, green beans, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce.

3. The Long Simmer

  • Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours (or High for 3–4 hours). You want the potatoes and carrots to be soft enough to smash against the side of the pot with a spoon.

4. The “Starch Thickener”

  • The Pro-Tip: To give the broth a stew-like body, take about ½ cup of the cooked potato chunks out, mash them in a small bowl with a little broth, and stir them back in. This naturally thickens the “Hamburger Soup” into a “Poor Man’s Stew.”

The “Macaroni” Variation: If you want it even heartier, add 1 cup of dry elbow macaroni during the last 30 minutes of cooking. It will soak up the broth and turn the dish into a nostalgic, “American Goulash” style meal.

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