Busy Day Soup is a hearty, one-pot ground beef and vegetable soup that’s designed to come together fast with minimal prep on hectic days. It uses simple pantry and freezer staples and usually makes about six servings, so it’s good for leftovers too.
What it is
Busy Day Soup is typically made with browned ground beef, a packet of dry onion soup mix, canned diced or stewed tomatoes, frozen mixed vegetables, and small pasta like elbow macaroni or ditalini. Everything simmers together in broth or water to create a savory, tomato-based soup with meat, vegetables, and pasta in each bowl.
Basic cooking method
The usual method is to brown and drain the ground beef in a large pot, then add the onion soup mix, liquid (water or beef broth), and canned tomatoes. After simmering to develop flavor, frozen vegetables and dry pasta are stirred in and cooked until the pasta is tender, often in about 10–15 minutes.
Customizing the soup
Many versions suggest swapping the beef for ground turkey or chicken, or using different small pasta shapes or even rice instead. Seasoning can be adjusted with extra salt, pepper, bay leaf, or Parmesan cheese on top, and the soup can be thinned with more broth or water if it gets very thick.
Make-ahead and slow cooker
Busy Day Soup is often recommended as freezer-friendly, especially if slightly undercooking the pasta so it doesn’t get mushy when reheated. Some recipes provide slow-cooker directions: cook and drain the beef first, add all ingredients except pasta to the slow cooker for several hours on low, then stir in pasta for the last 30 minutes.
