This slow cooker Amish-style hamburger soup is the sort of simple, hearty supper that has fed farm families around here for generations. It starts just the way my mother did on busy chore days: raw ground beef in the crock, then you simply pour tomato juice over the top, add four more pantry staples, and let it burble away while you go about your day. By suppertime, the house smells like home, the beef is tender, and the vegetables are soft and cozy in a rich tomato broth. It’s a true Midwestern comfort bowl—no fuss, no browning, just honest food that always gets a yes at my table.
Slow cooker hamburger soup simmering in a crock
Slow cooker hamburger soup simmering in a crock
Ladle this hamburger soup into deep bowls and serve it with thick slices of buttered white bread or a pan of cornbread for dunking. A simple side of cottage cheese or a small lettuce salad with a sweet-and-sour dressing fits right in with the old-fashioned Amish-style table. If you like, set out a little dish of shredded cheddar and some oyster crackers so folks can top their bowls the way they please. A jar of dill pickles and some applesauce on the side make it feel like a full country supper.
Slow Cooker Amish Hamburger Soup
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80–85% lean)
4 cups tomato juice
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)
Soup ingredients laid out on a farmhouse counter
Soup ingredients laid out on a farmhouse counter
Directions
Set a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker on the counter and remove the lid. Crumble the raw ground beef evenly across the bottom of the crock, breaking it up with your fingers so it’s in small pieces rather than one big clump.
Scatter the chopped onion evenly over the raw ground beef. This lets the onion flavor cook right into the meat as it simmers.
Add the frozen mixed vegetables on top of the beef and onion, spreading them out in an even layer.
Layers of beef, onion, and vegetables in the slow cooker
Layers of beef, onion, and vegetables in the slow cooker
Sprinkle the kosher salt over everything in the slow cooker. You can add a little more later if needed, but this gives the soup a good head start.
Now, slowly pour the tomato juice over the ground beef and vegetables in the slow cooker, making sure all the meat is moistened and mostly covered. The tomato juice is your broth, so it should come up over the beef and vegetables; give the crock a gentle shake if needed to help it settle.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the ground beef is fully cooked through and the vegetables are tender. The beef will cook and break apart in the tomato juice as it simmers; you don’t need to brown it first.
