A soup that’s a complete meal! Beef and Pasta Tomato Soup covers all the bases in terms of being a well-balanced meal. It’s delicious, hearty, mom/dad-approved, and kid-friendly too!
KID APPROVED MEALS
If you have a child in your household, you’ll be able to totally relate to what I’m about to say. And, if you don’t have a kid living with you in some capacity, I encourage you to be sympathetic and compassionate to our plight.
Trying to find a meal that is liked by everyone at the dinner table – without one single complaint – is damn nearly impossible. But, once in a while, that rare moment comes along when you hear those heavenly words uttered from the little human sitting at your dinner table: “Can I have some more?”
Hallelujah!!! God be praised!!! There is really nothing more satisfying than hearing that what you choose to make for dinner was delicious and appreciated. Move over instant noodles, canned pasta, and grilled cheese; this dad has dinner in the bag!
THIS SOUP WAS CERTAINLY A HIT!
This actually happened to me. True story. I served up a big bowl of Beef and Pasta Tomato Soup to McKenna. And, it was just that. No bread, no salad or sandwich, no sides at all. Picture it: we’re sitting at the dinner table, she lifts her spoon and I hear, “mmm,” “oh, this is good,” “yum!”
More often than not, there’s a little complaint. Sometimes, it’s rather small, but sometimes it makes me want to jump off a bridge. No! Push them off a bridge. My cooking is awesome; it’s not my fault their taste buds are flawed!
On with my story… the soup bowl was soon empty and a few more large ladles of soup went missing from the pot. The shocker though, was when McKenna asked if there was enough left for her to take to school the next day for lunch! Score!!! I immediately filled up a thermos and did a happy dance.
Furthermore, the next day, McKenna wanted to eat dinner early, because she was going to see a musical with her friend. So, we are both in the kitchen and I’m pointing out some options for her dinner when she asks, “Hey, is there any of that soup from last night left?”
What!!?? Not only did she eat the soup for dinner the night before, and had the same soup for lunch at school, but she was wanting it again for dinner the second night. Let’s just say, Dear Reader, this soup will be prepared over and over again in our home for the rest of the winter months.
MAKE IT VEGETARIAN TOO!
Now, really, who can blame her? This soup is just as delicious at it looks in these photographs. I should note though, that this soup can be made vegetarian as well. On several occasions, I have used a vegetarian ‘beef’ product so that John.e could eat it.
If you’d like to make your soup a vegetarian version as well, you can use Yves Original Veggie Ground Round, like I did. The Gardein Beefless Round works great too! The only difference to the recipe instructions below is simple; you will not need to drain the fat. That’s it!
If you’re using beef, just follow the recipe exactly as written. Be sure to drain the fat from the cooked ground beef to avoid a very greasy soup. Even if you’re using extra lean ground beef, you’ll still want to drain the fat to be sure your soup tastes and looks exactly like it should.
I’m sure your family will enjoy this just as much as mine. I hope they sing your praises and make you feel like the rock star home-cook you really are! Enjoy!
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Beef and Pasta Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 28 ounces
- 1 can tomato paste, 5 ounces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups macaroni, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil and ground beef. Cook the ground beef until browned – about 20 minutes. Drain the fat and return the beef to the pot.
- Add the onion, and carrots. Stir into the beef and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
- Next, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pot. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the broth and pasta. Stir to combine. Place the lid back on the pot and cook for 10 minutes. By this time, the pasta should be cooked.
- Add the frozen corn and stir. Do not place the lid back on the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Stir in the parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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