If you’ve ever seen the Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin playing the role of Inspector Clouseau, you may remember the running joke throughout the film where he discovers the hamburger. As a French police detective, he goes undercover to the United States. First, though, he must learn American customs, such as enjoying hamburgers. 

Inspector Clouseau has never before had a hamburger, and when he orders one in the U.S., he immediately falls in love with the food. He then attempts to smuggle hamburgers back to France on a plane by hiding them in his coat pocket. What ensues is pure comedic genius. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

Fortunately for us, hamburger is much easier to come by and we don’t need to hide it in our coat pockets to bring it home for dinner. Unfortunately for us, hamburger doesn’t always have a reputation for being the most heart-healthy food. The solution is this Lightened-Up Hamburger Soup. 

For this hamburger soup, I used a leaner ground beef and low-sodium, fat- free broth, along with plenty of veggies, to make this a guilt-free dish. It’s not just guilt-free, though. This soup is healthy in its own right.

Filled with potatoes, green beans, sliced celery, sliced carrots, and diced tomatoes, you can enjoy this hamburger soup knowing it’s nourishing you and your family. 

If it’s the right time of year, you can skip the can of fire-roasted tomatoes and instead grab a few sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes from your garden for a slightly brighter taste. 

As much as I think you’ll love the taste of this soup, I think you’ll appreciate that everything is made in one pot and you only need about 15 minutes of prep time. The rest is just letting the soup simmer until everything is cooked and the flavors are combined. 

Lightened-Up Hamburger Soup

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It’s incredible how a few simple substitutions can make a world of difference in lightening up your favorite recipes. 

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Category: Soups

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups low-sodium fat-free beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed

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Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the beef is browned, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, carrots, green beans, and Stir and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, salt, and pepper. Stir.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

For this hamburger soup, I used a leaner ground beef and low-sodium, fat- free broth, along with plenty of veggies, to make this a guilt-free dish.