Name: Slow Cooker Hamburger Vegetable Soup with Cabbage
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 250 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 4 cups beef broth; 2 cups water; 16 oz ground beef; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes (with juice); 1 cup corn (frozen or drained canned); 2 cups chopped cabbage; 1 onion (chopped); 1 carrot (chopped); 4 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 big potato (peeled and cubed); 1 stalk celery (chopped); 1 Tbsp butter; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp red chili flakes; 1/4 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 Tbsp sea salt; 3 peppercorns; 2 Tbsp cornstarch

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This slow cooker hamburger vegetable soup starts with ground beef browned with onion, garlic and tomato paste, then cooks on high for 4 hours with cabbage, carrots, celery, corn and potato in beef broth. Smoked paprika and red chili flakes give the broth a gentle kick, and a little cornstarch at the end thickens it up.

I love those thick kinds of soups for cold days, and the chili flakes here give just enough heat without turning it into a chili.

You spend about 20 minutes at the stove, then the crockpot does the rest.

Bowl of slow cooker hamburger vegetable soup with cabbage, topped with sour cream and parsley

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours on high + 10 minutes
Serves: 6
Flavor: smoky, tomatoey, mildly spicy
Equipment: large skillet and a slow cooker
Leftovers: fridge up to 3 days, freezer up to 3 months

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Why This Crockpot Hamburger Soup Works

Browning first builds flavor. Onion cooked in butter, beef browned in the same pan and tomato paste fried for a couple of minutes give the broth a deeper, richer taste than raw meat dropped into the pot.
Cabbage makes it hearty. Two cups of chopped cabbage go soft and sweet over 4 hours and stretch one pound of ground beef across six bowls.
The heat is easy to adjust. One teaspoon of chili flakes gives a mild warmth; use half for kids or add more at the table.

Ingredients You Need

Labeled ingredients for slow cooker hamburger vegetable soup: ground beef, beef broth, water, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, butter, cornstarch, bay leaves, chili flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, sea salt and peppercorns

Everything you need is in the photo above, and the exact amounts are in the recipe card. Here’s what each ingredient does in the pot:

Ground beef: browned with the onion first, so the soup gets a rich, meaty base.
Beef broth and water: the broth brings the flavor, and the water keeps the soup from getting too salty or heavy.
Cabbage: it softens over the long cook and makes the soup thick and hearty, so don’t skip it.
Carrots, celery, onion and garlic: the classic soup base, and they turn sweet and tender in the slow cooker.
Potato: one big potato, peeled and cubed, makes each bowl more filling. Leave it out if you plan to freeze the soup.
Corn: frozen or drained canned corn both work, and it goes in with the raw vegetables.
Tomato paste and diced tomatoes: the paste is fried with the beef for a deeper flavor, and the diced tomatoes go in at the end with their juice.
Butter: just enough to soften the onion.
Smoked paprika and red chili flakes: these give the soup its smoky, gentle heat. Use less chili if your family doesn’t like spice.
Oregano, bay leaves, peppercorns and sea salt: simple pantry seasonings. Take out the bay leaves before serving.
Cornstarch: it thickens the broth at the end, so the soup is spoonable instead of thin.

Ways to Change It Up

This hamburger soup with cabbage is easy to adapt to what you have:

More vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, shallots or red kidney beans.
Other seasonings: thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, cumin, turmeric, curry powder, garlic powder or parsley flakes.
Other meat: ground pork, chicken or sausage instead of beef.
Other broth: chicken or vegetable broth.

How to Make Slow Cooker Hamburger Vegetable Soup

Soften the Onion

Chopped onion cooking in butter in a red skillet

Chop the onion and fry it in the butter over medium heat until slightly golden.

Brown the Ground Beef

Ground beef browned with onion in a skillet

Add the ground beef to the onion and brown it over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon.

Add the Garlic

Minced garlic added to browned ground beef

Chop the garlic, add it to the beef and fry for a few minutes.

Cook the Tomato Paste

Ground beef stirred together with tomato paste in a skillet

Add the tomato paste, stir it into the browned beef and fry for 2 minutes more.

Load the Slow Cooker

Cabbage, carrots, celery, corn, ground beef, bay leaves and spices in a slow cooker

Place the chopped carrot, cabbage, celery, potato and corn in the slow cooker with the cooked beef. Pour in the water and beef broth, then add the sea salt, smoked paprika, chili flakes, oregano, peppercorns and bay leaves.

Cook on High for 4 Hours

Hamburger vegetable soup in a slow cooker after cooking on high

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the Tomatoes and Cornstarch

Diced tomatoes and cornstarch added to the slow cooker

Stir in the cornstarch and the diced tomatoes with their juice, then cook for 10 more minutes until the soup thickens slightly.

Remove the Bay Leaves and Serve

Finished slow cooker hamburger vegetable soup in the crock

Discard the bay leaves, taste for salt and ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with bread and sour cream.

Tips for the Best Spicy Hamburger Soup

For a milder soup, reduce the red chili flakes to ½ teaspoon.
For extra flavor, add half of the seasonings while frying the beef with the onion and garlic.
Serve the soup in warmed bowls so it stays hot longer.

What to Serve With It

Crusty bread, garlic bread, corn bread, biscuits or crackers are good for dipping, and gluten-free bread works too. For a heartier meal, spoon the soup over rice. Top each bowl with sour cream, Greek yogurt or crème fraîche.

Spicy hamburger soup topped with sour cream and chopped parsley

Storing, Freezing and Reheating

Fridge: let the soup cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: ladle cooled soup into freezer-safe glass or silicone containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Use within 3 months.
Planning to freeze? Leave out the potato. Potatoes absorb liquid and turn grainy after thawing, which can make the soup dry.
Reheat: warm portions on the stove or in the microwave, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through (165°F, as the USDA recommends for leftovers).

Slow Cooker Hamburger Vegetable Soup FAQs

Is slow cooker hamburger vegetable soup the same as chili?

No. It has no beans or chili powder and a thinner, brothy base. The red chili flakes and smoked paprika add warmth, but it eats like a vegetable soup.