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Two bowls and a blue pot of Busy Day Soup on a black background with a tablecloth. The hearty soup is made with elbow macaroni, ground beef, canned tomatoes, onions, celery, mixed vegetables, and beef stock. The hero bowl in the center has a spoon, showcasing the comforting, easy Busy Day Soup recipe.

Busy day soup recipe

Whip up a comforting bowl of Busy Day Soup in under 30 minutes! Packed with macaroni, ground beef, mixed veggies, and rich broth, this hearty soup is perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep. Learn my tips to keep the macaroni perfectly tender, thicken the soup just right, and store leftovers for fridge or freezer.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 721
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Ground beef
  • 1 cup Macaroni
  • 1 cup mixed veggies
  • 1 Onion medium
  • 2 Celery sticks
  • 1 Beef stock cube
  • 1 can Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 tbsp Minced garlic Optional

Method
 

  1. Prep the veggies. Chop your onion and celery.
  2. Heat the pot. Switch on your stove to medium-high and use a deep pot (the soup gets bulky, so don’t go small.
  3. Cook the beef. Once the pot is hot, add your ground beef — it should sizzle when it hits the pot. Let it brown. This might take 5 to 10 minutes
  4. Add the veggies. Once the beef has started to brown, add in your onion and celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. If your beef has some fat, drain it
  5. If you’re adding garlic, this is the best stage to toss it in.
  6. Season. Add in your beef stock cube, crumble it in, and stir.
  7. Tomatoes & veggies. Pour in your canned tomatoes, stir, then add the mixed veggies.
  8. Macaroni. Add 1 cup of elbow macaroni and then pour in 2 cups of water.
  9. Simmer. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the macaroni is cooked.
  10. Serve. Switch off the stove, dish up, and enjoy — I went straight to watch my series with a warm bowl of this goodness, ground beef soup.

Video

Notes

Measuring liquids:
  • Use the same cup you use to measure your macaroni for your water or broth.
  • Example: I used one cup to measure my macaroni, and then I used that exact same cup to measure my two cups of water.
  • If you want more liquid in your soup, you can add another half cup. So instead of just two cups, you might add two and a half cups.
Don’t overcook your macaroni:
  • Nobody wants mushy macaroni in their soup, girl.
  • Tip 1: Cook your macaroni separately, then add it to the soup once it’s done. If you do this, adjust your liquid. For example, instead of adding two cups of water, you might just add one cup.
  • Tip 2: Add your liquids to the soup and bring them to a boil. Then, reduce the stove to medium heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
    • If the macaroni tastes al dente (not fully cooked), switch off the stove and let the heat of the soup finish cooking it.
    • This method works perfectly—I use it myself.
If you’re using 70% lean, 30% fat ground beef:
  • Drain the excess fat.
  • Do not drain it into your sink—it will clog it.
  • Instead, drain it into a cup and let it sit overnight. By the next day, it will solidify.
  • Scoop it out with a spoon and toss it in the trash.
  • Never pour hot greasy liquid straight into your bin—it’ll be messy and greasy everywhere.
Thickening your soup:
  • Your number one go-to is a cornstarch slurry.
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1–2 tablespoons of water. Stir well, then add it to the pot.
  • The soup will thicken.
  • If it’s still not thick enough, repeat with another teaspoon until you get the consistency you love.
  • I share this tip in almost every recipe—it’s my go-to way to thicken soups.