November 4, 2023
Review RecipeBusy Day Soup
This busy day soup is loaded with hearty vegetables, seasoned meat, and tender noodles all simmered in a delicious broth.
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This busy day soup is perfect to make any day you are well, busy. Flavorful seasoned ground beef, lots of vegetables and tender pasta are simmered in a savory broth that takes little effort to whip up and will prove to be a hearty and filling meal.
Hearty soups are great ways to load all the food groups into one bowl. Our hamburger soup and taco soup are two more easy recipes.
Busy Day Soup Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean (93%-7%) ground beef (also known as ground sirloin)
- 1 packet onion mushroom soup mix (I used Lipton brand from a 1.8-ounce box)
- 2 cups water, room temperature
- 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can peas & carrots, drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, in juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound dry elbow pasta noodles (8 ounces)
PRO TIP:
I like to add low-sodium or no salt added broths and canned vegetables when I cook to control the amount of salt in my recipes. Note that if you do not use the low-sodium/no salt versions, you will want to reduce the amount of additional salt added to your recipe. You can increase, or decrease, the amount of salt in the recipe according to taste.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
VEGETABLES: This recipe calls for canned vegetables because they are great to have in the pantry for quick and easy meals. You can use a 32-ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables in place of the vegetables listed in the recipe.
MEAT: I like to use lean ground beef when making this recipe, but any ground beef will work. Just remember to drain any excess fat from the pot before adding the additional ingredients. The fattier ground beef blends tend to give off a lot of excess fat, which will not make a pleasant broth for your busy day soup. You can also substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage in the place of the lean ground beef.
ONION SOUP: The choice of mushroom onion soup mix makes this a rich and delicious broth that tastes like it has simmered on the stovetop all day. You can substitute any of the onion soup blends that you have on hand in your pantry, and they will taste just as delicious. The mushroom onion version has a milder onion flavor compared to the standard onion soup mix blend.
PASTA: I used standard elbow pasta for this recipe; however, any short pasta will work just as well. This is a very easy recipe that can be adapted from what you have available in your pantry.
How to Make This Busy Day Soup Recipe
STEP ONE: In a large (6-8 quart) stockpot, on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and lean ground beef. Brown ground beef for 5-6 minutes or until no pink remains. Break up the meat as it is browning. Drain any excess fat from the pot before adding the remaining ingredients.
Our Recipe Developer Says
Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use it. This is a great time saver for busy days.
STEP TWO: Add the onion mushroom soup mix packet to the 2 cups of water and stir to combine and hydrate the onions and spices. Add to the pot of cooked and drained ground beef.
STEP THREE: Add the low-sodium vegetable broth, whole kernel corn, cut green beans, peas & carrots, petite diced tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.
STEP FOUR: Lower the heat to medium heat and simmer the busy day soup for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes.
STEP FIVE: Add the uncooked macaroni noodles to the pot of simmering soup, stir and cook the noodles for 10-13 minutes. Make sure to stir the soup every few minutes to make sure that the noodles are not sticking to each other. Turn off the heat to the pot once the noodles are cooked fully.
PRO TIP:
You will want to serve this busy day soup right away as the pasta noodles will continue to cook and absorb the liquid from the soup as it sits.
How To Serve
This soup is a fantastic option to make during the week when you are pressed for time. Add garlic bread or a batch of our cheesy pull apart bread to mop up all the drips from this delicious soup and you’ll have happy, full tummies.
MORE SOUP RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: This soup will keep in the fridge for up to four days but we would recommend that if you anticipate having lots of leftovers, that you add the pasta into individual servings. You can cook your pasta according to package directions, drain, cool and toss your pasta in a tablespoon of olive oil. Keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator, and add the cooked pasta to the entire reheated pot of soup or individual portions as needed on those busy weeknights.
IN THE FREEZER: You can portion your busy day soup broth (without the pasta) into individual servings and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, you will need to thaw your soup and add pre-cooked pasta noodles to your serving.
MAKE AHEAD: If you want to make this soup ahead of time, you will want to follow all the steps up through step 4. Once you are ready to serve, you can bring your soup back up to a simmer and add your elbow pasta to finish preparing this busy day soup. Your soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. You will want to allow your soup to cool completely and place it into the refrigerator in a covered container until you are ready to eat.
This is the best soup when you are looking for a hearty and filling meal for your family and is a great option the next time you are short on time. Everything is made in one large pot and the soup is loaded with a flavorful broth, tasty veggies, meat, and yummy noodles.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I freeze busy day soup
This easy soup recipe can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. If you are planning on freezing this soup, we do recommend planning to add the pasta to individual portions when initially serving it and then leaving it out of the soup you are planning to freeze as the pasta will become soggy once thawed.
Can I use ground pork instead of ground beef?
You could use any ground meat or even Italian sausage in this soup.
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
You can make this soup ahead of time right up to before you add in the noodles. Then, when you want to serve it up, you warm it up and add the noodles to simmer and cook in the soup.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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- Butternut Squash Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Tomato Soup
- Mexican Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Soup
- Swedish Meatballs and Noodles
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Busy Day Soup
This busy day soup is loaded with hearty vegetables, seasoned meat, and tender noodles all simmered in a delicious broth.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93% to 7% (also known as ground sirloin)
- 1 packet onion mushroom soup mix, I used Lipton brand from a 1.8-ounce box
- 2 cups water, room temperature
- 4 cups 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
- 15.25 ounces whole kernel corn, drained
- 14.5 ounces cut green beans, drained
- 14.5 ounces peas and carrots, drained
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes, in juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound dry elbow pasta noodles (8 ounces)
Instructions
- In a large (6 to 8 quart) stockpot, on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and lean ground beef. Brown the beef for 5 to 6 minutes or until no pink remains. Break up the meat as it is browning. Drain any excess fat from the pot before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Add the onion mushroom soup mix packet to the 2 cups of water and stir to combine and hydrate the onions and spices. Add to the pot of cooked and drained ground beef.
- Add the low-sodium vegetable broth, whole kernel corn, cut green beans, peas & carrots, petite diced tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.
- Lower the heat to medium and simmer the busy day soup for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes.
- Add the dry pasta to the pot of simmering soup, stir and cook the noodles for 10 to 13 minutes. Make sure to stir the soup every few minutes to make sure that the noodles are not sticking to each other. Turn off the heat to the pot once the noodles are cooked fully.
Notes
- I like to add low-sodium or no salt added broths and canned vegetables when I cook to control the amount of salt in my recipes. Note that if you do not use the low-sodium/no salt versions, you will want to reduce the amount of additional salt added to your recipe. You can increase, or decrease, the amount of salt in the recipe according to taste.
- Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use it. This is a great time saver for busy days.
- You will want to serve this busy day soup right away as the pasta noodles will continue to cook and absorb the liquid from the soup as it sits.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 687IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
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Comments
Mike says
Easy to make and very good.