Busy Day Soup (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

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.
• Use leftover Beef Short Rib Ragu instead of ground beef.
• 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.

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.

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!