Hobo Stew (Mulligan Stew)
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Hobo Stew is a thick and hearty vegetable beef soup loaded with ground beef, potatoes and whatever vegetables you've got on hand. It's a one-pot meal with bold flavor, super budget-friendly, and perfect for feeding a crowd. If you're after another cheap beef dinner that stretches, my Beef and Noodles is another easy one.
You might know it as mulligan stew — it's all about tossing whatever you have on hand into a big pot and turning it into a warm, filling meal. My One Pot Cajun Rice and Beans works the same way if you want another budget dinner that feeds everybody.
Quick Look: Hobo Stew
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~417 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: ground beef, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, beef broth, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy one-pot, mostly hands-off once it simmers.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Budget-friendly. Ground beef, a few pantry cans, and a bag of frozen vegetables are about all this takes. It's the kind of dinner that stretches a long way without feeling like you cut corners.
One pot, mostly hands-off. You brown the beef, add everything else, and let it simmer. There's one pot to wash and nothing to fuss with while it cooks.
Makes a big batch and freezes great. It feeds 6 and keeps in the freezer up to 3 months, so doubling it buys you an easy dinner down the road.
Serve it with a side of my Ciabatta Garlic Bread, Honey Corn Bread, or Hoe Cakes.
Is Hobo Stew the Same as Vegetable Beef Soup?
Pretty much. Hobo stew is a vegetable beef soup made with ground beef instead of stew meat, so it's cheaper and there's no roast to cube and brown. You end up with the same thing in the bowl — beef, potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, and peas in a rich tomato broth.
Hobo Stew Ingredients (Vegetable Beef Soup)
- Ground Beef: You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Beef broth: I use low-sodium beef broth to help cut back on the salt.
- Tomato soup: You can also use tomato sauce or tomato juice; see my notes in the recipe card for more info.
- Potatoes: I like to use Russet potatoes, but red potatoes or Yukon Gold are also delicious.
- Green beans: Fresh or frozen works best.
- Fresh Vegetables: Celery stalks, carrots, green beans, peas, and corn.
How to Make Hobo Stew
- Step 1: Heat a large Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and cook the ground beef until brown and drain the fat.
- Step 2: Add in the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and cook until soft, then add in the flour.
- Step 3: Add in the beef stock, tomato soup, canned tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and stir.
- Step 4: Mix in the potatoes, green beans, corn, and peas mix and simmer.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer a thinner stew, just add a little more beef stock to the stew to your desired consistency.
- Use sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness and beautiful color.
- Cut your potatoes into same-size cubes so they cook evenly.
- Consider making a double batch to freeze for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Recipe Faq's
Also called Mulligan stew or campfire stew, which is a stew that was common during the great depression as a community stew and put together with whatever ingredients you have on hand.
No, you can use tomato sauce if you prefer, but tomato soup has a bit of sugar in it, so the flavor will change slightly without it. V-8 juice is also a great substitution.
Yes, brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then add it to the slow cooker, followed by the rest of the ingredients, and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
Yes, you can! Let the stew cool completely, then place it in freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Hobo Stew (Mulligan Stew)
Equipment
- 1 7qt Pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, chopped, about 3 stalks
- 2 cups carrots, diced, about 3 medium carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato soup
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 2-3 cups Russet potatoes, diced
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 2 cups green beans fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot on medium-high heat and add the ground beef cook for 4-5 minutes just until starting to brown.
- Add in the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, and cook another 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour stir and cook for about 30 seconds
- Pour in the beef broth, bouillon cubes, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Cajun seasoning, and mix until combined.
- Add in the potatoes, corn, peas and green beans cover and let simmer over medium low heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- Add the salt and pepper or more to taste.
Oh yay! So happy it was such a hit, thanks for the great review 🙂
We all absolutely loved this recipe! As it cooled off it became thicker. I used 2 c beef bone broth and I used Beef Better than Bullion instead of bullion cubes. I doubt that either one of those would’ve changed the recipe. Everything else was the same. My adult married son left with a quart and so did my sister! They liked it even though it had another 1/2 hr to go! Hubby and I still had enough for 2 meals😊Thank you so much!