This Busy Day soup recipe is perfect if you're looking for a quick and easy meal to make. It's a steaming bowl of comfort food that's loaded with hearty and comforting flavor. It's a great meal to make on busy weeknights.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️It has a wonderful, savory flavor that everyone will love.
✔️It requires pantry staples that are all easy to find at your local grocery store.
✔️It's a hearty, filling, and budget-friendly meal that requires little effort and only a few minutes of prep time.
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- In a large stock pot brown ground beef. Once ground beef is fully cooked, drain excess fat.
- Add the Lipton onion soup mix to the ground beef and sauté to combine.
- Add the beef broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the ground beef and onion soup mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. If desired, break up the stewed tomatoes using a potato masher.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables and pasta. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Equipment
- large soup pot
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FAQ's
This soup is called busy day soup because it's easy to make and quick to prepare. It can be made in just one pot, so you don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning up after yourself.
Yes, soup this soup freezes well. You may lose a little texture in the potatoes, but other than that, you're good.
Absolutely, you can use ground pork, Italian sausage or ground turkey or chicken. Like the beef, you'll want to make sure it's fully cooked before adding additional ingredients.
Watch and learn: recipe video
Hey friend, watch me make this yummy soup step-by-step on YouTube! I’ll walk you through how easy it is to make.
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Deb's tips
- If you want to add celery, and onions to this recipe, I recommend that you saute them with the ground beef until they are crisp tender.
- Want to use a dutch oven for this recipe? Make sure to use an enameled one so that the acid from the tomatoes doesn't eat into your cast iron.
- If you want to make this soup even heartier, feel free to add a can of drained and rinsed beans like kidney or pinto.
- If you are using extra lean ground beef, add a little olive oil to the large pot so that the beef doesn't stick.
- Make sure that drain fat from the pot before you add the remaining ingredients.
Variations for Busy Day Soup
- Taco seasoning would be a great swap with the onion soup mix.
- Crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes work great if you don't have stewed tomatoes. A can of V8 or Rotel tomatoes with green chiles add a nice zip of spice.
- Any small shaped pasta noodles can be used as a swap for the elbow noodles. However, you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the pasta that you use. So, check for tender pasta according to the package directions.
- You can make this in the slow cooker if you'd prefer, just be sure to brown the ground beef first.
Storage
Refrigerate - Leftover busy day soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If the pasta absorbs the sauce, just add in more water or beef broth.
Freezer - Soup can also be frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stovetop.
Reheat - Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat stirring occasionally until heated through. You could also reheat in the microwave for one or two minutes.
Related recipes
- The next time that you are in the mood for a delicious soup that is creamy and comforting then next time give this Potato Soup recipe a try.
- If you love simple recipes that don't require a lot of prep time or effort than you may want to add this Ham and Bean Soup to your next meal plan.
- Love this? Be sure to try the Hamburger Soup soon. This award-winning recipe is delicious!
- When you are in the mood for a stick-to-your-ribs meal, that will warm you up from the inside out, this Chicken and Dumplings Soup recipe is what you need to make.
Serve with
- I love to serve a hearty soup like this one with a side of these Homemade Rolls from Bread Dough. This recipe is one of my favorite easy recipes to make when I need a quick bread side.
- This Outback Wedge Salad is a great option to serve with this soup if you love a soup and salad combo.
- My family loves when I end a hearty meal like this one with a creamy yet sweet dessert like this No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie.
What do you think, did you enjoy the soup? You know me, I always say soup is good food! I'd love to get your feedback. Pop me a note or leave a message below.
Busy Day Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 package Lipton onion soup mix
- 4 cups beef broth
- 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- ¾ cup macaroni noodles
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot brown the ground beef. Once ground beef is fully cooked, drain excess fat.
- Add the Lipton onion soup mix to the ground beef and sauté to combine.
- Add the beef broth, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce to ground beef and onion soup mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Beak up the stewed tomatoes using potato masher or a spoon.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables and pasta. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta is tender 6-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Camden says
This busy day soup is everything I need for my schedule right now! Even if I didn't make this with the pasta included, I bet this would be awesome to dip a baguette into. Can't wait to try!
Sharon says
Life has been getting more and more hectic lately. Thank you so much for this recipe for busy day soup. It is exactly what my busy life has been missing!
Debbie says
This busy day soup recipe is such a lifesaver. I love that is easy, healthy, and delicious all at the same time! Thank you!
Kristen M Yard says
I'm always looking for quick, easy, and nourishing recipes for me and my daughter during the busy school week. I'm adding this recipe for busy day soup to my list! Thank you!
Debra Clark says
Wonderful, enjoy the soup Kristen. It's easy and an amazing recipe!
Alyssa says
This busy day soup is a perfect weeknight meal. I always need quick and easy meals to through together for those busy weeknights!
Debra Clark says
Fantastic, I hope you enjoy the soup! I love how easy this recipe is!!
Cynthia says
Busy day soup is perfect for my family's crazy schedule. Between school, sports, and all of our other activities, there's hardly any time to sit down for a meal.. especially if that meal takes a long time to prepare!
Debra Clark says
Yes, this is a weekday life-saver! I hope you give it a try Cynthia!
One Crazy House says
I love that the ingredients for this recipe for busy day soup are simple pantry staples that I usually have even when we are running low on things and need a grocery trip within a day or so!
Sam says
My family loves your recipe for busy day soup! It's such a hearty soup, easy to make, and we always have the ingredients on hand anyways! It's perfect!
Debra Clark says
Thanks Sam, glad your family enjoys this yummy soup!
Brittany says
I am always amazed at the many variations that you give within one recipe. This busy day soup is going to become a staple at my house, its just so easy!
Debra Clark says
Fantastic Brittany! I hope you really enjoy the recipe!