Classic Hobo Stew is the ultimate “clean out the fridge” comfort meal: a big pot of hearty ground beef, tender potatoes, and mixed vegetables simmered in a rich tomato-beef broth. It’s thick, cozy, and budget-friendly, with simple pantry ingredients that turn into something far more satisfying than the sum of their parts. This is the kind of old-school stew that feeds a crowd, stretches a pound of meat a long way, and tastes even better the next day.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or soup pot
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (only if your beef is very lean)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 carrots, sliced or diced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced (optional but classic)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (optional)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce or condensed tomato soup
- 4 cups beef broth (or water plus bouillon)
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix or 1–2 teaspoons Worcestershire plus extra salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½–2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, etc.)
- Additional water or broth as needed
Instructions
To make Classic Hobo Stew, start by building flavor in the pot. Place a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. If the beef is very lean, drizzle in the olive oil to keep it from sticking; if it’s fattier, you can skip the oil.
Cook the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it’s browned and no longer pink. As it cooks, scrape the bottom of the pot so the meat can develop some browned bits, which will add depth to the stew.
When the beef is mostly cooked, add the diced onion and cook together for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and turns translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
If there’s a lot of grease in the pot at this point, carefully spoon some off; you want enough fat to flavor the vegetables, but not so much that the stew feels greasy.
Next, pile in the chopped vegetables that take the longest to cook. Add the cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, celery if you’re using it, and bell pepper if you like that classic campfire-stew flavor.
Stir them into the beef mixture so they’re coated with the fat and any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Let the vegetables cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, so they start to pick up some color and begin to soften.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the tomato sauce or tomato soup. Stir well to combine and scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef broth, onion soup mix (or Worcestershire), Italian seasoning, paprika if using, salt, and black pepper.
Stir everything together until the seasonings are well distributed and the liquid and vegetables are evenly mixed. At this point, the pot should look quite full but still have enough liquid to comfortably cover the vegetables; if it looks dry, add a bit more broth or water.
Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a steady simmer. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar to let some steam escape while keeping most of the moisture inside.
Let the stew simmer for about 25–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced with a fork. This slow simmer is where the flavors meld and the broth takes on that familiar, cozy “stew” depth.
Once the root vegetables are tender, stir in the frozen mixed vegetables—corn, peas, green beans, or whatever blend you like.
These don’t need as long to cook, so adding them toward the end keeps them bright and prevents them from turning mushy. If you like beans in your Hobo Stew, this is a good time to add a drained and rinsed can of beans (like kidney or ranch-style beans) as well for extra heartiness and protein.
Continue to simmer the stew for another 10–15 minutes, uncovered, until the frozen vegetables are heated through and everything tastes well married. If the stew seems thicker than you’d like, add a splash of water or broth and cook for a few minutes more.
If it feels thinner and you prefer a thicker, almost “chili-like” texture, let it simmer a bit longer with the lid off so some of the liquid can reduce.
Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed. Depending on your broth, tomato products, and whether you used onion soup mix, you may want more salt, a little extra pepper, or another small sprinkle of Italian seasoning or paprika.
Once it tastes rich, beefy, and well balanced, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes; this short rest helps the stew thicken slightly and allows the flavors to deepen even more.
Ladle the Classic Hobo Stew into bowls and serve hot. It’s great on its own, but even better with slices of crusty bread, cornbread, or crackers for dunking and scooping up every last bit of the chunky stew and tomato-rich broth.
