Easy Hobo Stew
Hobo Stew is a hearty soup, made with budget friendly ingredients, that is easy to make with your own favorite veggies, and feeds a crowd!
Hobo Stew
If you’ve heard of Hobo Packets, then you are in luck because I have a tasty twist on them! Those tasty, easy to prep, foil packets full of beef stew ingredients, that you cook over a campfire, just turned into a campfire stew that you can make at home.
Often called Hobo Soup or Mulligan Stew, it’s an incredibly versatile soup/stew recipe that you can make at home, over a campfire, or in a slow cooker.
Think of your favorite vegetable soup but with a little meat to make it even heartier!
It uses pantry ingredients, it’s budget friendly, easy to make, q great freezer meal, feeds a crowd, and you can make it on the stove top or in a slow cooker!
Some of my other favorite soups are my slow cooker beef stew, my dilly bean stew, and this southern style stewed chicken and rice.
Ingredients Needed
Ground Beef – Use a lean ground beef (93/7 is best). Substitute, ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground lamb.
Onion – A medium sized sweet onion is best.
Bell Pepper – A red bell pepper is sweet and add some color but you can use your favorite or leave it out all together.
Mixed Vegetables – I like to use frozen mixed vegetables that consists of peas, carrots, corn, and cut green beans.
Onion Soup Mix – This is great for flavor and helps to thicken the hobo stew a little bit. Substitute Italian seasoning or ranch seasoning.
Potatoes – I like to use Russet potatoes or you can substitute sweet potatoes. Peel and dice them small so they will cook fast and evenly.
Broth – You can use beef broth or beef stock. You can use chicken broth or even water and beef bouillon in a pinch.
Tomato Juice – Choose a low sodium version or you can go with V8 juice. Try the spicy one for more of a kick!
Ranch Beans – I like the seasonings in the ranch beans but you can substitute your favorite pinto beans or leave them out all together.
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How to Make Hobo Stew
First: In a large dutch oven or large pot, cook the ground beef and onion in the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink.
Drain if desired and return the ground meat mixture to the pot.
Second: Add in the bell pepper, garlic, soup mix, beans, green beans, potatoes, carrots, and corn. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir to mix.
Third: Add in the broth and tomato juice. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to a simmer.
Fourth: Cover and simmer on low for 20 – 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with crusty bread!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
How long does it last?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or stove top until warmed through.
Can I freeze it?
This Hobo Stew freezes beautifully! It’s a good thing because it makes quite a few servings so it’s great for saving leftovers for later.
Can I make it in a slow cooker or crock pot?
Yes, you can! Brown the ground beef and then add it and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker or crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
This does increase the cooking time but mostly hands off and you can come home to it already done!
Check out these other delicious soup recipes!
Tips for No Leftovers
- Add in your favorite vegetables to make this hobo stew your own!
- Instead of onion soup mix, substitute your own seasoning mix. I like to use creole or steak seasoning.
- Substitute the ranch beans for baked beans or kidney beans.
- Don’t like one of the vegetables? Leave it out and double up on another one.
- You can substitute the tomato juice for V-8 or spicy V-8 juice.
- Spice it up with dashes of hot sauce or a can of chopped green chilies.
- Want more tomato flavor? Add in a can of drained diced tomatoes.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!
This Hobo Soup Recipe is easy to make, budget friendly with ground beef and frozen veggies, feeds a crowd, and is a great freezer meal!
Hobo Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 1 bell pepper seeded, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1 ounce package onion soup mix
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 3 large Russet potatoes peeled, diced
- 30 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 can 15.25 ounces ranch beans (undrained)
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or large pot, cook the ground beef and onion in the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain if desired and return the beef mixture to the pot.
- Add in the bell pepper, garlic, soup mix, beans, green beans, potatoes, carrots, and corn. Stir to mix.
- Add in remaining ingredients. Stir to mix.
- Add in the broth and tomato juice. Mix to combine.
- Bring to a boil stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer on low for 20 – 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve warm with crusty bread or a fresh salad!
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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