When you’re looking for a soup that’s comfy as can be and also filling and delicious, look no further than Beef and Macaroni. I remember loving this soup in my childhood, even though at the time I claimed to hate all soup. Thanks to the beefy tomato flavor and tender macaroni, though, it’s the kind of soup that kids just can’t seem to resist… But really that goes for kids of all ages, from two right on up to one hundred and two.
Never fear, this isn’t the type of soup you have to simmer all day to achieve optimum flavor. Nope. It comes together in just about thirty minutes, and it’s a simple, straightforward process without a ton of ingredients.
You start with onion, garlic, and ground beef that you brown up in a pot…
… and then simmer in a mixture of beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. That simmers just until it’s thickened a bit and the flavors have come together, ten minutes or so.
Let’s get to the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
PREPARATION
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat, if needed.
- Stir in beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook 10 minutes. Stir in macaroni and continue simmering until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes more.
- Adjust seasoning as needed and enjoy!
