Busy Day Soup is an easy, delicious, and comforting meal that can be prepared in 5 minutes with ingredients you probably already have on hand! Let it simmer while you spend time with your family.
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Our Busy Day Soup uses simple and affordable ingredients, such as ground beef, frozen vegetables, and canned tomatoes.
It can be easily customized to fit whatever flavors you're in the mood for, or you can use our tried-and-true combination for an instant family favorite!
Ingredients
Here's what you will need to make our Busy Day Soup recipe:
- lean ground beef
- onion soup mix
- beef stock
- petite diced tomatoes
- frozen mixed vegetables
- uncooked pasta
- kosher salt and black pepper
- bay leaf
This is meant to be a brief overview of our great recipe for hectic weeknights. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
Ang's Tips
- To save time, I like to cook large batches of ground beef on the weekends and freeze them for later. That way, I can just grab a bag of the cooked beef, and it will thaw quickly as the soup heats up.
- I love using these soup containers instead of freezer bags when I'm freezing soup, tomato sauce, or other liquids.
Storage
To Store: Leftover Busy Day Soup should be stored in an airtight container. It can be kept for 3-4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
To Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until heated throughout. Larger amounts can be reheated in a crockpot or on the stovetop.
To Freeze: Prepare the soup without the pasta. Place cooled soup into a gallon-size freezer bag. Label and store for up to 6 months.
To Thaw: Let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, add it to a pot or slow cooker to reheat, and add cooked pasta when ready to serve.
Make Ahead
This soup can be made 1-2 days ahead, however, I recommend not adding the soup until you're ready to serve it or the pasta may become too mushy.
Variations
I love using a little creativity with soup recipes. They're a great way to use what you have on hand in your pantry, or even as leftovers. Tons of yellow squash or zucchini from your garden? Throw it in! Add a can of white beans for extra protein, or swap out leftover chicken for the ground beef.
Here are some other ideas for changing up this delicious meal:
- Instead of regular diced tomatoes, try Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and chilies or fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Add a tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix, Mediterranean seasoning mix, or even taco seasoning to the soup as it cooks for more flavor. You can also add fresh herbs just before serving like parsley, basil, or thyme.
- You can use any type of small pasta noodles you like.
- Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey or even ground Italian sausage.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Here's how to make this hearty soup in your crockpot:
Using your slow cooker to make this easy soup is a great option when you're tight on time. Cook the ground beef, drain grease, and add it to the crock with all the other ingredients except for the pasta. Cook on low for 6 hours. When there are about 30 minutes left in the cooking time, stir in the pasta or rice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a little bit of shredded cheese or grated parmesan cheese. I also love to serve this with a loaf of crusty bread, or if I have a little extra time, I'll make buttery dinner rolls or Italian breadsticks.
Similar Recipes
Next time, try one of these delicious recipes:
Related: Find more Delicious Soup Recipes here.
Not ready to make this Busy Day Soup recipe yet?
When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Busy Day Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta or any small pasta or rice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat.1 lb lean ground beef
- Drain the fat off the beef and return it to the pot.
- Add in the ingredients for the base of the soup.1 packet onion soup mix, 6 cups beef stock, 1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the temperature to medium heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mix in the pasta and veggies and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the pasta is tender.2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. I often add a little bit of black pepper.
Equipment
- Large stock pot
Susan says
I love how easy this looks, and I just happen to have some ditalini pasta in my pantry! Yay. My family will LOVE this! And so will I 🙂
Kim says
This soup is amazing and so easy. Thanks for the recipe! I'm adding this to my regular dinner rotation!
Eileen says
This is such a delicious soup. The ingredients are so easy to find and the results are a delicious quick soup the entire family loved. I will be adding this into our weekly meals.