This busy day soup is exactly what it sounds like—a comforting bowl that comes together quickly with little effort and just a handful of hearty, easy-to-find ingredients. Just simmer and serve, the perfect meal when dinner sneaks up on you after a busy weeknight. I love simple recipes like this.
Loaded with tender pasta, brown ground beef, and lots of vegetables, you’re going to want this gem of a recipe in your regular rotation! Especially on hectic weeknights!
More of my favorite soups to serve for a satisfying dinner are beef barley soup, beef and tomato macaroni soup, vegetable beef soup, and hamburger soup.
Can I Make Busy Day Soup With Turkey?
Absolutely! If you prefer turkey or even ground chicken, feel free to change the protein. Switch out the ground beef with one of these. The soup will be just as delish.
Can I Change The Pasta?
Of course! I use elbows but feel free to change them to any cup of macaroni or pasta noodles.
Can I Make Busy Day Soup With Potatoes?
Yes, and it’s delicious with them. Just swap out the uncooked macaroni noodles. Omit the pasta, peel and cube 2 russet potatoes, add at step #2 in the instructions below, and simmer until they’re tender.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil
- Ground Beef
- Onion Soup Mix
- Low Sodium Beef Broth
- Diced Tomatoes with juices
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables-any you’d like. Corn, carrots, peppers, green beans-you choose.
- Macaroni
- Parmesan cheese
Tips + Tricks
Leftovers: If you have leftovers, the pasta will absorb the savory broth and you will likely need to thin it with a few cups water or beef broth.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? It’ll last 3 or 4 days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? Leftovers actually freeze fairly well. The pasta will however get pretty soft. Let it thaw and/or reheat it slowly so the macaroni doesn’t fall apart from all the stirring.
- It can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Make-Ahead Tips: If making this days or months ahead, cook this without the pasta. Store it in the freezer for 4-6 months. Simply thaw, reheat and add the macaroni the day you want to serve it. This soup is so quick to put together from start to finish, I generally don’t bother to make it ahead of time.
Serving Recommendations For Busy Day Vegetable Beef Soup
Staying with quick and simple recipes, I love to serve this with my super easy Bisquick biscuits or my absolute favorite garlic bread. A simple green salad will round out the meal perfectly.
Step By Step How to Make Easy Busy Day Soup
- Brown the pound ground beef.
- Sprinkle onion soup mix.
- Stir in broth, tomatoes, and vegetables. Bring to a boil.
- Add cup macaroni, boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve.
How To Make In The Slow Cooker
- Brown the ground beef on stovetop.
- Add all the ingredients except the pasta to the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 hours.
- Add in the uncooked pasta when there is only 30 minutes left of cooking time.
More Delicious Filling Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Black Eyed Pea Soup
Busy Day Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 ounce package dry onion soup mix
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 (12 ounce) frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup dried elbow macaroni
Topping:
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pot. Add ground beef (1 pound) and cook, crumbling with a spoon, until beef is cooked through and there is no longer any pink. Remove and discard any excess fat. Sprinkle onion soup (1 (1-ounce)package) over beef and stir.
- Stir in broth (4 cups), tomatoes (1 can), and vegetables (12 ounces). Bring to a boil. Add pasta (1 cup); boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Pass a bowl of Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Leftovers: If you have leftovers, the pasta will absorb the savory broth and you will likely need to thin it with a few cups of water or beef broth.
Nutrition
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The best soup all year round! This is now my go-to meal
I totally agree with you, Allyson! Thank you for sharing your positive review 🙂
Love this all year also. I add aa pinch of thyme
Agreed! Yup, thyme is a good addition. Thanks for your positive review 🙂 I’m happy you like this soup!