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 on 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. I hope you’ll try them next!
Busy Day Soup Ingredients
- Olive Oil: You can use any neutrally flavored oil.
- Ground Beef: For the best flavor, I like to add 80/20 ground beef.
- Onion Soup Mix: This goes directly from the envelope into the soup. You do not prepare it using the box instructions.
- Beef Broth: I like to use low sodium beef broth. It allows me to control the overall sodium in the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes with juices: Don’t skip adding the juice from the can. It goes into the soup to make it even more flavorful.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetable: Use any you’d like. Corn, carrots, peppers, green beans-you choose.
- Macaroni: Any small pasta will work. I like elbow pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: Use a quality parm. The kind you buy in a little tub from the deli or better yet, grate it off a wedge of parmesan. Avoid the stuff in the green cardboard canister is too salty.
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 swap them to any cup of macaroni or pasta noodles. Regardless of the shape used, I like a good quality pasta like Barilla. It holds up better if there are any leftovers.
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.
Tips
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, sweet cakey Bisquick cornbread, beer bread, or my absolute favorite garlic bread. A simple green salad will round out the meal perfectly.
Toll house cookies are quick to put together and always a hit for dessert!
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.
***See the full instructions below.
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.
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More Delicious Filling Soup Recipes
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Crack Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Black Eyed Pea Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi
- Turkey Carcass 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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Rene says
Just making this soup now. Tastes delicious and easy peasy! Adding a few extra veggies too.
Kathleen says
Hi Rene. I think more veggies are always a good idea!
amelia says
the recipe goes perfect for me, thanks!
Allyson says
The best soup all year round! This is now my go-to meal
Kathleen says
I totally agree with you, Allyson! Thank you for sharing your positive review 🙂
Katherine M Conlin says
Love this all year also. I add aa pinch of thyme
Kathleen says
Agreed! Yup, thyme is a good addition. Thanks for your positive review 🙂 I’m happy you like this soup!
Kathi says
I have found that v8 juice makes a nice addition, cut the amount of tomatoes in half and ad v8. Super flavorful.
Kathleen says
That’s wonderful! Thanks, Kathi 🙂