Easy Hamburger Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in soup? ›

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

So Unless you are cooking ground meat with a lot of fat there is no need to drain the pot after browning. Fat = oil and oil doesn't combine with water which is why we drain it before adding the liquid (whether its broth or water) so your soup wont be seperated. You don't have to if you don't want to.

Use fresh, good quality ingredients like vegetables and herbs. Add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to your soup to make it taste better. Use a high-quality broth or stock as a base for your soup. Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness.

So, although the flavor still feels simple and familiar, it's not boring or flat. I also prefer to make this hamburger soup recipe without beef broth or stock; I prefer to use vegetable stock to balance the flavors out a bit.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

All soups and stews must have three major components in order to be tasty: an undercurrent liquid, aromatics, and volumizing ingredients.

Boiling your ground beef is a great idea if you want to cook with leaner, less fatty meat. This is a simple, quick, and easy-to-clean process where you cover the meat in water and brown it on medium heat for for 3-5 minutes or so. Boiled beef is also often used to feed dogs, as it is a great form of protein.

During cooking, beef undergoes many chemical changes, affecting its appearance, taste and texture. Browning or searing the lean outer surface of your beef produces the rich, deep meaty colours, flavours and aromas we love. This browning process is known as the Maillard reaction.

Adding water to ground meat can help make the meat more tender and moist, especially if the meat is lean. The water also helps distribute seasonings and other ingredients more evenly throughout the meat. However, adding too much water can result in a soggy and unappetizing burger.

How can I deepen my soup flavor? ›

Adding umami-rich ingredients like tomato paste or a parmesan rind to the soup will add a deep, rich savoriness and body to the soup.

A little Worcestershire sauce goes a long way in soups

It's saltiness and umami are very welcome in vegetable soups which often lack those notes.

Like beef broth, chicken broth is a kitchen staple and makes a good substitute if you are all out of the meaty broth. This savory, salty liquid has a milder flavor than beef broth but is a good one-to-one replacement. Chicken broth also has a similar nutrition profile to beef broth, low in calories and high in sodium.

The simple answer is yes, it's usually okay to substitute vegetable stock with water. In most recipes that call for vegetable stock, its main advantage over water is that it provides flavor, which is especially important if you're making vegetarian or vegan food that's missing the richness from meat.

You can make a stew with water but beef broth is a better choice. The water will pick up the flavors of the stew's ingredients, it won't be flavorless, but you'll get a better tasting stew if you use broth.

Herbs and sources add flavor, aroma, and intensity to the soup broth. You can pick fresh or dried herbs like basil for tomato-based soups or fresh parsley for clear broths. You may also add more spices like turmeric, ground ginger, ground paprika, or nutmeg for a touch of spice and color to your soup broth.

Adding an acidic component (foods we'd consider to be sour) almost always enhances the flavors of a dish. A splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon adds a brightness to foods that often doesn't occur on its own.

It accentuates the taste and adds the right kind of tanginess to it. If you don't have white vinegar, you can easily substitute it with apple cider vinegar. It is safe to use and can be added to any kind of dish.

A secret ingredient is a component of a product that is closely guarded from public disclosure for competitive advantage. Sometimes the ingredient makes a noticeable difference in the way a product performs, looks or tastes; other times it is used for advertising puffery.