Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe
As the weather starts to cool down and soups return to the rotation of weekly meals, this delicious recipe will surely make its way to your table and your heart! My Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe is full of flavor and filling, and it’s great for those cold and rainy days in the Fall and Winter when you need something to warm you up from the inside out. It’s a delicious tomato-based broth with fresh vegetables, chunks of creamy potatoes, and seasoned ground beef. It’s warm soup season, and this easy dinner is comfort food to the max!
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If you’ve been around my blog for a long time, you know how picky my family is. That pickiness doesn’t just involve the recipes and ingredients; it also includes the time of year (seasons). Yeah, you heard me right. If it’s hot outside, soups, stews, chilis, and other heavy meals are banned, and lighter, cooler, fresher items are on the menu.
But if it’s cold, rainy, or snowing outside, everyone expects a thick, hearty dish to land on the dinner table accompanied by bread of some kind. And that’s where this delicious hamburger vegetable soup lands. It is the perfect meal for those long Winter months and can even show up a little early or late in those transition months, too!
You might think I have something against Cracker Barrel Country Store and Restaurant, but I don’t! (Haha) It’s just a Southern-style eatery that is very popular in our area, and I’m competitive. So, when I eat there (which is rare), I always debate whether my version of their dish is better. And if I think that their rendition is pretty tasty, I come home and do my best to beat it.
(And it’s not just Cracker Barrel that I compete with. Once, I tasted a slice of pie at Olive Garden, came home to recreate it, and won a pie contest with it!) I do, however, have some other copycat Cracker Barrel Recipes. (located at the bottom of this post.)
Click HERE for the Cracker Barrel History and Timeline.
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Another reason I like this dish is because of what I can eat with it. My husband prefers cornbread with his soup, but I like to make a grilled cheese sandwich to dip into the broth. It’s a combination that we used to have in the school cafeteria. (Back when they made the food from scratch and seasoned well.) It’s nostalgic for me, and it’s delicious. (If you’ve never tried the vegetable soup/grilled cheese combo, try it the next time you make this main course!)
Speaking of cornbread, I have the BEST cornbread recipe. (I’ll add it below this soup recipe in the post.) To make things slightly different, you can take the cornbread recipe and put it into muffin tins for the cutest little cornbread muffins. When I was growing up, my grandma had cast iron molds for cornbread that were shaped like corn. Little things like this make your meals more appealing to kids, give a new level of interest to the same old recipe, and are just plain cute on the table!
You probably didn’t check out this delicious soup because it’s considered “healthy eating.” But I’m going to surprise you with this one. This recipe is one of my great keto diet recipes. (low-carb health diet) You can have 1 cup of this soup for under 100 calories, 3 g protein, and only 18 g net carbs!
And the great thing is that this recipe is something the entire family will eat. It doesn’t taste like a “healthy” soup. It just is! This would be a great way to prep your meals for the week so that you have instant access to a good meal. (I have found that to be the best way to stay on track with my health journey.)
Tips for the Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe:
- While the soup is simmering, stir occasionally to ensure the potatoes aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- If you notice the water evaporating from your soup too quickly and it is becoming dry, add more water.
- If you do add more water, taste the soup, make sure that your seasonings/salt are on point and make necessary adjustments before serving.
Make the Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe with me on YouTube!
Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 lb. lean ground beef or deer
- 5 1/2 cups of water (I use the tomato sauce can and fill it up 3 times)
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, and corn)
- 4 Russet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe Instructions:
- First, brown the 1 lb. of ground meat in a large pot over medium heat.
- Second, drain any excess grease with a paper towel once the meat is browned.
- Third, add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme to the browned meat, mix well, and let it become fragrant.
- Then, add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir.
- Next, add the tomato sauce, water, ketchup, and beef bouillon to the pot and mix well.
- Add the peeled, chopped potatoes and stir.
- Then, add the Bay leaves and mix one final time.
- Let the soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Finally, serve while hot with a piece of crusty bread, fresh corn muffins, or a melty grilled cheese.
The Perfect Side Dish – Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar (You can always adjust the sugar content to your liking. This is a sweet cornbread recipe.)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Instructions:
- First, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet. Use a paper towel to spread the oil evenly on the bottom and sides of the skillet. Place the skillet in a pre-heated 400-degree oven.
- Second, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a bowl.
- Third, mix the milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and egg to the dry ingredients.
- Then, take your hot skillet out of the oven and pour your cornbread.
- Place the skillet of cornbread into the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until browned on top.
- Finally, enjoy with your delicious copycat Cracker Barrel Vegetable Soup!
Storage for the Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe:
- Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What are the Macros for the Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup Recipe?
Makes 11 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 cup)
- Calories – 93.5
- Protein – 3 grams
- Carbs – 18 grams (net)
- Fat – .04 grams
Check out some of my BEST Copycat recipes!
Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice
Better than Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
Copycat Raising Cane’s Fried Chicken Sandwich
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Better than Cracker Barrel’s Hamburger Vegetable Soup (Copycat Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 lb. lean ground beef or deer
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 1/2 cups of water I use the tomato sauce can and fill it up 3 times
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables green beans, peas, carrots, and corn
- 4 Russet Potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
Instructions
- First, brown the 1 lb. of ground meat in a large pot over medium heat.
- Second, drain any excess grease with a paper towel once the meat is browned.
- Third, add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme to the browned meat, mix well, and let it become fragrant.
- Then, add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir.
- Next, add the tomato sauce, water, ketchup, and beef bouillon to the pot and mix well.
- Add the peeled, chopped potatoes and stir.
- Then, add the Bay leaves and mix one final time.
- Let the soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Finally, serve while hot with a piece of crusty bread, fresh corn muffins, or a melty grilled cheese.
