Homemade Sloppy Joe Soup
Sloppy Joe Soup is everything we love about a sloppy joe, turned into a thick, saucy soup you eat with a spoon. It has a mild sweetness and tastes like the sandwich sauce. It’s ready in about 40 minutes.
We’re big fans of sloppy joes at our house, and my fiancé, Veldon, is crazy about the sauce. I grew up eating them too. My mom always made hers with a can of Manwich, and I remember how messy they were. I’d end up with sauce all over the place.
So I thought, why not make it into a soup? This one doesn’t use any canned sloppy joe sauce. The sauce comes together right in the pot. It keeps things a little neater because you eat it with a spoon. I served it with garlic bread, and it was a hit. It’s not spicy, so it’s kid-friendly too.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Yellow onion
- Green pepper: It adds the classic sloppy joe flavor.
- Lean ground beef: Less grease to drain.
- Ketchup and brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Beef broth
- Crushed tomatoes: I use the whole can. It makes the soup thick and saucy, not brothy.
- Salt and pepper
Toppings for Sloppy Joe Soup
- Hamburger bun croutons: Cube a few hamburger buns and toast them in the oven or a skillet until crisp. Sprinkle them on top for the bun part of a sloppy joe.
- Shredded cheese: Add a handful to each bowl and let it melt into the hot soup.
- Fresh parsley: My choice for a little color.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Soup
- Step One: Brown the beef and vegetables. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft. Drain the grease before you add the rest of the ingredients.
- Step Two: Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire.
- Step Three: Add the broth and tomatoes, then simmer. It doesn’t take long. You’re just letting the flavors come together, and it should end up as thick as spaghetti sauce.
What I Learned Making This Recipe
- Dice the onions and green pepper small. I cut them small, so there aren’t big chunks in the soup.
- Break the beef up into small crumbles as it browns. That’s what gives it the sloppy joe texture.
- Use the whole can of crushed tomatoes. I wanted a saucier soup, not a brothy one, and I think the tomatoes are what make it thick.
- Drain the grease. If you skip it, your soup will be oily.
- Taste before you add salt. Ketchup, Worcestershire, and broth already carry salt.
- Don’t overcook it. It only needs enough time for the flavors to combine.
Variations and Substitutions
- Ground turkey: Use it in place of the beef. It’s leaner, so a little extra Worcestershire helps if it tastes mild.
- Other peppers: Red or yellow pepper is sweeter and less sharp than green.
- Low-sodium broth: Ketchup and Worcestershire already add salt, so low-sodium broth lets you control the salt.
- Diced tomatoes: Use them instead of crushed for a chunkier, brothier soup. It won’t be as thick and saucy.
- Kidney beans: Drain a can and stir them into the broth and tomatoes for a heartier soup.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Soup in a Slow Cooker
- Brown the beef, onion, and green pepper in a skillet until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft. Drain the grease.
- Move everything to the slow cooker. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, beef broth, and crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or on high for 2 to 3 hours.
- Stir, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
The soup can come out a little thinner in a slow cooker because nothing evaporates. For a thicker soup, take the lid off for the last 30 minutes.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Next day: Leftovers are good the next day, but the soup may be a bit thick. Add broth or water to thin it out if you prefer. It’s still tasty.
- Freezer: Cool the soup completely, then freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm it on the stovetop, stirring often.
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Easy Sloppy Joe Soup
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Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- ½ cup green pepper diced
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28oz/796ml can
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add ground beef, onions, and green pepper to a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir in beef broth and crushed tomatoes.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- Thickness: This soup is thick, like a spaghetti sauce. Add a splash of broth or water if you’d like it thinner.
- Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The soup thickens overnight, so thin it with broth or water when you reheat it.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Slow cooker: Brown the beef, onion, and green pepper, then drain the grease. Then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours.
- Garnish: Fresh parsley is optional. I add it for color.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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