Cowboy Hamburger Soup

When I think of Hamburger Soup, I can’t help but think of Girl Scout Summer Camp and making “Campfire Stew” on the fire.
I have some great memories of Girl Scout camp. I went for a 2 week session every year which grew to a one month session when I was older. I got to interact with other girls and our counselors were from different countries so we learn different cultures. The older girls used to go on trips during our stay at camp and one of our trips was to a mountain where we had to pitch our own tent, and our site so we could cook dinner and stay the night. I don’t remember being scared of bears or any other wildlife. Not sure if that would be the case today….

The method of cooking this soup is a little different, but the basic principal is the same.



Breville Fast Slow Pro

I found a recipe that made the Hamburger Soup in the InstaPot, which started me thinking…I have a Breville Fast Slow Pro I bought and used a couple times. Then it went into storage. I forgot I had it. These appliances are great as they do not only pressure cooking, they do slow cooking, steaming, sauteing, reducing and searing. I have several Breville products and swear by them. They are more of an investment dollar wise, but you get what you pay for. I use my Smart Oven countertop convection oven more than my range oven (every day) and consider it an excellent investment. I bake brownies in it, finish cooking thicker steaks that I have just seared, bake scallops and haddock, you name it. It’s a great appliance I could not live without. I am even thinking of buying the Joule Air Fryer Pro oven, which is much bigger, and includes an air fryer function and dehydrate. It can also be operated by Alexa and your smart phone. I am probably one of the few that is not a fan of air frying, but is an asset for those that love it.

I’m not a person who wants appliances and stuff all over my counters. So, if it doesn’t fit into a slide out cabinet, it goes into storage, and that’s like going into the black hole. I have no idea why I didn’t put this in my cabinet instead of the slow cooker I never use. I always look for a shortcut in everything, and pressure cooking is definitely a shortcut. I think I will replace the pressure cooker for the slow cooker in my cabinets. Slow cooking just isn’t for me. You have to think ahead what to make for dinner and prepare it before you leave the house. Yes it is easier once you get home, but I am more of a night person than a morning person, so maybe that’s why.   

Back to Hamburger Soup. I pulled out my Breville fast slow cooker, and decided I was going to put it to good use. Who doesn’t want to make soup at the drop of a dime? It takes about 8 minutes cooking time, but that’s not taking into account the pre-pressurizing time. So I would say it’s about a half an hour give or take. But delicious soup in a half an hour? This is not taking into account the time getting the ingredients prepared for pressure cooking, but it is still a whole lot shorter time than cooking on the stove.

When I googled Hamburger Stew, the images looked exactly the same as Campfire Stew. So I guess it doesn’t matter what you call it, they all looked delicious. And I had some great memories to look back on while eating it. 

This soup is pretty easy to make:

You basically brown the beef, onion, celery and garlic. Whether you cook on the stove or pressure cooker.  Drain any fat off.

Then add tomatoes, stock, carrots, potatoes, turnips, tomato paste, salt and pepper, and spices. 

Stir and pressure cook or simmer on the stove.



Use Pastene tomatoes. Cento are really good as well. Or if you want really good quality tomatoes, try San Marzano tomatoes. Just make sure they say “Product of Italy” on them. The only true San Marzano tomatoes come from Italy. Those bargain basement brands of tomatoes in water have NO FLAVOR!

This can also be made on the stove as you would make any other soup. No matter which way you make it, it is delicious!