Description
Busy Day Soup is a hearty, flavorful one-pot meal made with seasoned ground beef, a mix of vegetables, tender elbow pasta, and a savory broth. Perfect for quick dinners or meal prep, it comes together in about 40 minutes and serves a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93%-7%)
- 1 packet onion mushroom soup mix (about 1.8 ounces)
- 2 cups room-temperature water
- 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) cut green beans, drained
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) peas and carrots, drained
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, in juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound (8 ounces) dry elbow pasta noodles
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium–high heat, heat olive oil and add ground beef. Cook 5–6 minutes until no pink remains, breaking the meat into small pieces. Drain excess fat.
- Stir the onion mushroom soup mix into 2 cups water, then pour into the pot with beef.
- Add vegetable broth, corn, green beans, peas and carrots, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add dry elbow pasta and cook 10–13 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once pasta is tender, turn off heat and serve immediately to keep noodles from absorbing too much liquid.
Notes
- Swap canned vegetables for frozen mixed vegetables for fresher texture.
- Use different ground meats like turkey, chicken, or Italian sausage for variety.
- Try other pasta shapes such as shells, rotini, or penne.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days; keep pasta separate to avoid mushy noodles.
- Freeze broth without pasta for up to 3 months; thaw and add fresh pasta when reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
