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This macaroni soup recipe is simple to make, warming, and inexpensive! It’s loaded with plenty of veggies and ground beef, and it has a delicious tomato broth.
You may also like my Easy Hamburger Soup, Hamburger Orzo Soup, or Minestrone Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I love this hamburger macaroni soup because it’s both healthy and satisfying. The combo of protein-carbs-fiber will keep you full for hours. This is a great dairy-free soup as well. It’s also just plain tasty, so you should be able to keep picky eaters happy with this one!
Affordable ground beef recipes made with pantry staples are always a good idea. Add in some carrots, corn, and fresh spinach, and it’s a soup that’s family friendly and cozy. Much of the cooking time is hands off, so this beef macaroni soup is fuss free.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like sweet (Vidalia) or yellow onions here.
- Ground beef – we’re using lean
- Celery, carrots, and spinach – plenty of veggie goodness
- Beef broth – for deeper savory taste
- Canned goods – fire-roasted tomatoes and corn add so much flavor, and they’re super convenient
- Italian seasoning – this all-purpose blend of dried herbs comes in a single jar
- Pasta – macaroni is great in soups since it’s bite sized
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this cast iron Dutch oven.
- Need a sturdy ladle with less spilling? I like this OXO ladle.
- Mince garlic effortlessly with one squeeze of a garlic press.
How to make macaroni soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large pot, sauté the onion and beef in the oil until browned. Spoon out most of the fat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant.
Add in the rest of the ingredients apart from the macaroni, spinach, and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer to soften the veggies. Stir in the macaroni.
Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through. Give it a taste, season with salt & pepper, and then stir in the spinach until it wilts.
Substitutions and variations
- This beef and tomato macaroni soup is pretty forgiving! Feel free to add/swap veggies as needed. For example, try kale instead of spinach if you prefer.
- If you want this soup to have more pasta, I suggest adding another cup of water or broth and increase the pasta to 1 cup (uncooked).
- Some readers like to use half beef, half Italian sausage.
What to serve with macaroni soup
- It’s a nice all-in-one meal, so you can just serve it with fresh bread to round out this soup. I like French bread or sourdough.
- A salad is always a good idea. Try my homemade Olive Garden Dressing, or make this easy Creamy Pesto Dressing to change it up.
Leftovers and storage
- Store for 3-4 days in the fridge, covered. Keep in mind that the pasta will soak up the broth the longer you leave it. You may need to add more beef broth to leftovers if you find they’re a bit too dry.
- If you’re planning on eating most of it later or freezing the bulk of this recipe, I suggest adding the pasta when reheating it so that it doesn’t get soggy.
I hope you will enjoy this simple beef and macaroni soup! Leave me a star rating and review below if you made it, and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Macaroni Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 sticks celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & sliced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 (12 ounce) can corn drained
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup uncooked macaroni
- 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, onion, and beef to a large soup pot. Cook for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat, breaking the beef up as you go along. Spoon out most of the excess fat.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the macaroni, spinach, and salt & pepper.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the soup simmer (covered, with the lid slightly open) for 10 minutes.
- Add the macaroni in and continue to simmer until it's tender (about 12-15 minutes). You may need to increase the heat to get it going again. Cover the pot again with the lid slightly open. I stir the soup a couple of times while it's cooking so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed and stir in the spinach (let it wilt). Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- This soup is quite chunky and the pasta will soak up the broth the longer it sits, so you may need to add extra beef broth to leftovers. Another option is to cook the pasta separately if you know you will be having lots of leftovers or plan on freezing the bulk of the soup. If you want this soup to be more pasta-heavy, add another cup of water or broth and increase the pasta to 1 cup uncooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on February 2, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
So easy to make yet so delicious.
Thanks so much, Helen! 😀
This soup is delicious. I followed the recipe as written but because I am freezing it with the pasta already in, I increased the broth to two containers. I adjusted the salt and pepper (I like a lot of pepper), after adding the second container. I had some for lunch and it was perfect.
Thanks, Cynthia!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it!
This soup is a great addition to Salt & Lavender. I’ve made this a few times and have made changes along the way for my own liking and so I could use up certain ingredients. Tonight I added some heavy cream, Rotel, and a can of corn that has poblano and red pepper. Next time I’m going to use Italian sausage, perhaps Hot to really amp it up. Thanks, Natasha, for the wonderful recipes. I’m excited to make your Dill Pickle soup next.
Thank you! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying our recipes! 😀 Love how you’ve changed it up! Hope you love the pickle soup too. XO
Yummy and easy to make!
Thanks, Mary! 😀
I know chefs hate hearing how we change things up but I needed a vegetarian veggie soup so used this recipe with no meat or chicken, and garden vegetable broth. It was so delicious! Thanks for the tomato forward broth! So tasty.
It’s all good, Mary! You’re very welcome!
This is the best soup I’ve ever made by far. Taco soup is my usual go to for comfort food on a cold day but the veggies in this macaroni soup is outstanding. I have made it several times for my family of six and even my toddler inhales this soup, spinach and all. It is also now my go to meal when bringing someone food after they’ve had a baby or they’re going through a tough time and need assistance and every time they’ve asked me for the recipe because they love it as much as I do! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
PS. I’ve also made it with ground turkey and chicken broth and it’s just as tasty!
Thank you so much, Erika!! I’m thrilled it’s a favorite. 😀
Your recipes are a big success. Even my picky grandson eats seconds. Glad I found you.
That’s wonderful to hear, Gerald!! So glad you found me too. Appreciate you taking the time to write me a 5-star review! 😀
This was so easy to make and so yummy to eat! We served it with crusty rolls for a nice dinner. Made enough to freeze also. Will definitely making this one again.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Heather! 😀 Appreciate your 5-star review!
Love this soup! I’ve made it quite a few times now. Would ground turkey be a good substitute instead of beef? Thanks!
Hi! I think that would work fine. 🙂
The turkey tasted amazing!
That’s great!! 😀