Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup

 This simple but satisfying, hearty beef and tomato macaroni soup will be a repeat visitor to your dining table when the temperatures drop and appetites grow.

Time savers equal lifesavers in the kitchen, and a big pot of warm, soul-soothing soup is one of my fall favorites. Most soups take minimal effort to put together with maximum flavor payoff, plus there are usually plenty of leftovers to dip into throughout the week between football practice, shopping, or building Pinterest pages of my favorite holiday decorations.

My beef and tomato macaroni soup, basically comfort in a bowl, fits the bill for sure, and you’re likely to find some bubbling away on the stovetop in my kitchen on any given Sunday.

This is a hearty soup with a thick, tomato-filled broth full of tender macaroni and beef, a real stick-to-your-insides meal that will give you plenty of energy to tackle your afternoon or a satisfied stomach ready to stretch out in the evenings and watch the fireplace crackle (even if it’s just one of those flickering on your TV screen).

If you like beefy homemade soups, I hope you’ll try my beef barley soup, goulash soup, cheeseburger soup, and of course, beef noodle soup!

Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup Ingredients

• Aromatics: The aromatic base starts with onions, garlic, and bell peppers which create a strong, flavor-packed foundation.
  • Yellow or Spanish onions are my favorite all-purpose varieties since they have a good balance of strong, spicy flavor and a subtle sweetness.
  • White onions will work well too, but I don’t recommend Vidalia or Walla Walla onions that really can be a little too sweet for this soup.
  • I know we all get in a hurry, and it may be tempting to skip this saute step, but it’s really an important part of building a flavorful soup or stew. Many ingredients won’t release all their flavor until they reach a high temperature (like higher than the boiling point of water or stock).
  • The oil in your skillet will get hotter than that measly 212°F (100°C), so it’s the perfect tool for breaking down the aromatics and extracting all their flavors.
• Beef: The ground beef in this dish is my go-to, favorite ratio, an 80/20 ground chuck, with tons of beefy flavor and a richness that holds up nicely in this soup against the tomatoes and forward-facing spices.
• Tomato Soup: Rather than just using canned tomatoes, I like to incorporate cream of tomato soup. It adds mellow tomato flavor to balance the acidic diced version, plus it helps thicken the soup a little.
  • Cream of tomato soup also has a touch of milk or cream, which adds some additional richness and gives the soup a little more velvety mouthfeel. It mingles really well with the beef broth and adds that little hint of something special to this soup that others won’t quite be able to put their finger on.
• Spices: The spices I mentioned are chili powder and crushed oregano.
  • Chili powder isn’t just ground chilies (that’s cayenne); it also has a little cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano, among other things, so it adds a little heat plus tons of other flavors. I also love the way chili powder deepens the red color of this soup.
• Oregano: This goes great with any savory dish, so it’s a no-brainer for this soup, and the earthy quality really grounds the brightness of the tomatoes. Oregano means “joy of the mountain” in ancient Greek, and it’s a staple in the balmy Mediterranean (it also has four times the number of antioxidants as blueberries!).
  • Like most dried herbs you can get a head start on its flavor by rubbing it between your palms to release all the essential oils before you drop it into your soup. (There’s also a tradition of rubbing those leftover oils onto your skin if you want to dream about your future spouse, though I’m pretty sure I’d just dream about pizza.)
• Pasta: The curved “elbow” style we love here in the States is called chifferi or gomiti. Although either will work in this beef and macaroni soup, elbow macaroni is what I usually have on hand and it’s more readily available in the grocery store.
  • It’s also the perfect size for ensuring a well-rounded, equitable spoonful of beef, tomato chunks, and pasta. Tubular pasta, in general, maximizes surface area for absorbing all the flavors of this soup, and cooking it in the soup itself capitalizes on this.

Tips For Beef and Tomato Soup:

• Chili-Mac – If you love chili mac as much as I do, you might try adding a teaspoon or two of cumin to this soup to give it a Mexican flair.
  • You can even sprinkle a little shredded Mexican cheese blend on top before serving and garnish with a little chopped cilantro.
• Broth – Homemade stock is always the best, but I don’t always have some in my fridge or freezer. There are tons of store-bought options that have homemade flavor, and you can also find low-sodium versions if you need to watch your salt intake.
  • In a pinch, you can also use Better than Bouillon instead of beef broth. Just mix 1 ½ tablespoons into 32 oz. of water (you can even do this in the pot rather than dissolving the bouillon in the water first).

How To Make Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup

1. Saute the aromatics.
2. Add and brown the ground beef.
3. Add the herbs and spices.
4. Add cream of tomato soup, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and water. Bring to a boil
5. Add pasta and simmer.
6. Serve.

***See the full instructions below.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?  The cooked beef macaroni soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Can You Freeze This?  I prefer it freshly made. The pasta gets mushy after freezing.
• Make-Ahead Tips: The flavor is even better made a day or two ahead of time. The flavors will continue to develop and will create a superior flavor. That said, if you’re making it ahead of time, I’d wait to add the pasta until you’re ready to serve it.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more food safety info check out this article.

Serving Recommendations

This is delicious served with buttery homemade crescent rolls, beer bread, hunks of warm Southern cornbread, or for a sweeter version, Bisquick cornbread, butter swim biscuits, or our favorite, Bisquick biscuits to dip and sop up the delicious gravy of this soup.

To freshen the meal up, I like to add to a crisp green salad dressed and tossed with my easy-peasy balsamic vinaigrette or crispy copycat KFC coleslaw.

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Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup

This simple but satisfying, hearty Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup will be a repeat visitor to your dining table when the temperatures drop and appetites grow.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of tomato soup
• 1 (15-ounces) can diced tomatoes undrained
• 32 ounces beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked pasta

Instructions

• Heat the vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions (1), green bell pepper (1), and garlic (2 cloves) and saute until the onion mixture begins to soften about 5-6 minutes. 
• Add the ground beef (1 pound), crumbling with a wooden spoon, cook until there is no longer any pink. Drain off excess fat. 
• Add the chili powder (2 teaspoons), oregano (2 teaspoons), salt (1 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon) and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add condensed cream of tomato soup (2 (10.75-ounce) cans), diced tomatoes with their juice (1 (15-ounces) can), beef broth (32 ounces), and water (4 cups).
• Bring to a boil, add pasta (2 cups). Reduce heat and cover and simmer until the pasta is just al dente. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Notes

1. Chili-Mac – If you love chili mac as much as I do, you might try adding a teaspoon or two of cumin to this soup to give it a Mexican flair.
   • You can even sprinkle a little shredded Mexican cheese blend on top before serving and garnish with a little chopped cilantro.
2. Broth – Homemade stock is always the best, but I don’t always have some in my fridge or freezer. There are tons of store-bought options that have homemade flavor, and you can also find low-sodium versions if you need to watch your salt intake.
   • In a pinch, you can also use Better than Bouillon instead of beef broth. Just mix 1 ½ tablespoons into 32 oz. of water (you can even do this in the pot rather than dissolving the bouillon in the water first).

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• Source: Gonna Want Seconds. First Published on CentslessMeals

 

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