Stove Top Poor Man’s Stew (Hamburger Stew Without Beef Broth)

Stove Top Poor Man’s Stew is an old-fashioned recipe that was found on most Midwestern tables back in the day. It’s a hearty combination ground beef, potatoes, carrots and red kidney beans in a base of tomato juice (no beef broth). While it may seem simple, don’t discount its delicious flavor.

Stove Top Poor Man’s Stew Recipe

This Poor Man’s Stew recipe is precisely what it sounds like – a cheap meal thrown in the pot that feeds a crowd. I found it in my Quailtown 1994 Cookbook, and I marked the page as soon as I first saw it.  It’s a simple and rustic country recipe, just the type I can imagine my Grandmas making back in the day.

The cool thing about this soup is that it can either be a soup or a stew based on your personal preference or based on how much tomato juice you have on hand.  If you like it thicker, add less than this recipe calls for, or if you are wanting a soup or if you have more mouths to feed, add the entire 46 fluid ounce can of juice.

This leads me to another good point. Modify this recipe based on what you have on hand. Have a few extra carrots that need used up? Throw them in the pot. Are you out of kidney beans but have black beans? Use them. It’s all good.

Hamburger Stew Without Beef Broth

This may be why my family eats soup at least once a week during the fall and winter.  Soups and stews are forgiving.  If you’re a beginner cook, then soup is the way to go.

And, soup gets better as it sits in the fridge.  Somehow all the flavors of the individual ingredients meld together into a tastier version.  It’s like magic. Try making this on the weekend, and then refrigerate for a weeknight meal. You’ll be thanking yourself for prepping ahead.

Ingredients for Thick Hamburger Stew

• Ground Beef
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Onions, diced
• Potatoes, diced
• Carrots, sliced
• Kidney Beans, drained
• Tomato Juice
• Sugar (optional)

How to Make Thick Hamburger Stew (Poor Man’s Soup)

Step by Step Instructions

1. Brown ground beef and onions in skillet or large saucepan; drain excess grease.
2. Add diced potatoes and carrots, drained red kidney beans, tomato juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to a week.

For the full recipe steps and ingredient amounts for hamburger stew without beef broth, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• Hamburger stew is as versatile as they come.  Use more or less of any given ingredient, or use up whatever is in the icebox refrigerator. Try swapping in your favorite bean or make it low fat using ground turkey.
• If you want to see what some of our Pantry Essentials and Kitchen Favorites are, visit our Amazon store.
• I like to add approximately 1 tablespoon of sugar to this recipe and almost any tomato-based meal.  Tomatoes are acidic, and the sugar will balance the acid.  This is optional.
• To make this a poor man’s soup, add more tomato juice, or if you prefer a poor man’s stew, add less. It’s delicious either way.
• Try leaving the ground beef in larger chunks while cooking; it gives great texture to this hamburger stew recipe.
• Convert this to a slow cooker recipe by adding all the ingredients to a crock pot insert, cooking on low for 6-8 hours. Be sure to brown your ground beef and onions beforehand. Or try out or Crock Pot Hamburger Vegetable Soup with V8 recipe.

Recipe Variations

• Switch in or out the veggies. Frozen peas or green beans would be a tasty addition.
• Add diced onions (yellow onions or white onions) with ground beef for more flavor.
• All sorts of dried herbs or spices could be added such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning blend, thyme, parsley, etc.
• I love adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce for a punch of flavor.

Our Favorite Ground Beef Recipes

Try out some more of our favorite recipes using ground beef.

Mom’s Hamburger Gravy

Spaghetti Pie

Classic Sloppy Joes

Frisco Melt Hamburger Helper

Crock Pot Enchilada Meatloaf

Hamburger Goulash

Homemade Coney Dogs

How do you make stew taste richer?

There’s one secret ingredient that can give a stew or soup a rich, deep flavor profile. That ingredient, Worcestershire sauce, is probably already in your refrigerator. Add a few splashes, to taste.

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