This Beefy Tomato Soup is our most popular soup recipes! This comforting soup is loaded with beef and pasta simmered in a tomato cream broth!
If you like making soup as much as we do, try ourCopycat Campbells’ Tomato Soup! Or if you’re looking for a low carb soup, then try thisPork Egg Roll Soup or our Low Carb Sausage Vegetable Soup!
An Easy Soup Recipe That’s Done In 30 Minutes!
Because I like to try and use what we have in the house, I opened the freezer, the fridge and all the cabinets to take stock of what we had on hand. Sometimes going back out to the grocery store is just not something I want to do.
I grabbed some ground beef from the freezer, cream cheese from the fridge,onions, basil and garlic fromthe cabinets and got to work.
Beefy Tomato Soup has become one of our most popular recipe on our site and for good reason. It’s really easy to make, it’s done in less than 30 minutes and it’s so creamy and comforting, everyone gobbles it up.
This soup recipe is another way Ilike to use spaghetti sauce in recipes as a short cut and a boost of flavor. And probably one of my favorite ways, too. Also a jar of spaghetti sauce is usually something we have in the pantry so it’s an easy ingredient to use in recipes like this.
This beef and macaroni soup gets so thick it’s almost like a beef goulash. Some people have said that it’s similar to a homemade hamburger helper once the noodles soak up all the broth.
How Do You Make Beefy Tomato Soup?
Gather your ingredients together and start by cooking the onion and garlic in olive oil. Next brown the beef, add a few seasonings then pour in chicken broth and your jar of marinara sauce.
You can still make this soup if you don’t have a jar of spaghetti sauce, just substitute a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce if that’s what you have instead.
Give it a stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes, not a full boil, just a simmer. Stir in cream cheese to make it nice and thick, add some fresh basil and finally add in the pasta. Or don’t, we’ll answer that question below!
Can You Cook the Pasta Separately For This Soup?
You sure can. If you like your soup to have more broth, cook the noodles separately and add it in the each bowl as you serve the soup.
And if you’re planning on making this beef and macaroni soup ahead of time, you should definitely cook the pasta separately so it doesn’t get too thick on you when you go to reheat it.
Because we like this soup recipe thick and creamy, we put the pasta right in there so as it cooks it soaks up some of the broth. We don’t often have leftovers of this soup when we make it so getting too thick on us isn’t an issue.
Maybe it’s the creamy, delicious broth. Maybe it’s the beef and noodle combination. Or maybe it’s because it’s so easy to make!
This Beefy Tomato soup recipe has become a fan favorite since we posted it way back in 2015! It seems like everyone loves it and I hope you do too!
Last Amazon price update was: Mar 25, 2024 8:56 am
Print
Beefy Tomato Soup
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 79 reviews
Author:Dan
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20
Total Time:35 minutes
Yield:6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Beefy Tomato Soup is an easy beef and macaroni soup that your whole family will love! This soup is done and on the table in less than 30!
Scale
Ingredients
3/4 lb. ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (24 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce
4 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni or short-tubed pasta
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil, divided
Instructions
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens.
Add the ground beef to the onions, breaking up with a spoon and cook until no longer pink. Drain any drippings if necessary.
Add the salt, pepper and oregano to the beef and stir to combine.
Pour in the chicken stock and the pasta sauce, stir and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Whisk in the cream cheese and then add 2 tablespoons of the fresh basil.
Pour in the pasta, stir and let cook for 10 minutes, covered, stirring halfway through cooking.
Spoon into bowls and garnish with the leftover basil.
Recipe Notes
Your favorite spaghetti sauce can be used, or even a can of crushed tomatoes with a little more seasoning works!
*NOTE – A few of our readers have commented that the noodles soak up all the broth when you reheat the next day. If you want the soup for leftovers with more broth, cook the pasta separately and then add it to each bowl as you heat it up!
Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.
For ground meats, a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce does wonders to increase the beefy flavor compounds. Adding cooked dried pieces of bacon — a product that already has high concentrations of savoriness — makes for a one-two punch of meaty flavor.
I almost always add some beef bouillon crystals to my stew, it helps oomph (yes, a technical term) the beefiness of the stock. Sometimes also use a few shots of worcestershire sauce or soy sauce - both will also add some oomph to the flavor.
Using low-sodium or no-salt-added broth or stock as the base for the soup. Adding herbs and spices for flavor instead of salt, such as bay leaves, thyme, pepper, cumin, garlic, and onion. Using unsalted versions of other ingredients, such as canned tomatoes or vegetables.
This tip comes from food science. Add a small spoonful of sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Season with salt in all of the steps (starting with the sauteed onions). This ensures your tomato soup is never bland.
Sour cream should be added only after you have cooked and served the soup, as a topping. Otherwise it will separate and it will not look appetizing. Once you have added sour cream, you cannot reheat the soup, so it's better to add spoonfuls to individual bowls and let people stir it in themselves.
Keep in mind that this evaporated milk will make your dish taste richer, but it won't actually thicken the soup. You can always use a bit of flour or cornstarch if you're missing that added texture. Otherwise, you'll find evaporated milk the best dairy addition for your classic slow cooker favorites.
A small amount of sugar can help round out the flavor, while too much can make it overly sweet and potentially ruin the dish. Adding sugar may also reduce the acidity in a soup, making it taste less acidic. What makes tomato soup taste good?
Baking soda will work too, but may add a bitter taste if you use too much. So if you must use it, start with ⅛ tsp or a pinch of it in a very small amount of water to dissolve. Stir it in well then taste it. Add another pinch if it's still too acidic for you.
The standard direction for a can of condensed Tomato Soup is to put the condensed soup in a saucepan, fill the can with water, add the water to the pan, stir, and heat just to the point of simmer. BUT. It's MUCH better with Milk, which makes it a creamy tomato soup, a bit more like a tomato bisque.
The best way to ensure a flavorful soup is to brown the beef and onions in the beginning. If the soup tastes bland at the end of cooking, add more spices and herbs. After adding, allow the soup to cook a little longer so the flavors to meld together.
Beef tastes great when seasoned with oregano, rosemary, sage, garlic or a combination of these seasonings. Poultry gets an added burst of flavor with spices like paprika, lemongrass and saffron. Fish can be made more flavorful with dry mustard powder, thyme and turmeric.
You can toss the beef in seasoned flour before browning it which will also help thicken the stew. Not adding enough seasoning would be the second potential issue. Add plenty of pepper and some salt and it should taste better. Using beef stock or red wine is better than water for the liquid.
A squeeze of lemon juice can brighten a soup or stew and even a grilled or seared steak. If you'd like to always have juice or zest on hand for seasoning, try freezing in small portions, such as in an ice-cube tray. You can toss the frozen juice or zest straight into a hot soup or stew. Don't overlook vinegars, either.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.