This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
This Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup is one of the best soups you can make, especially for colder weather as it warms you right up. It’s easy to make and a classic from my childhood. I hope you like it!
Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup is super easy to make
What I love about this method is that you pre-cook the noodles (morning of, day before, it doesn’t matter) and then you add them in at the end of the day, just long enough to heat them up. The soup simmers all day long if you want, then when you come home, you have it waiting for you. Just add the pre-made noodles and there’s dinner!
Precooked noodles make this a snap!
Precook your noodles the day before or the morning of and just add them in during the process at the end to heat them up. It’s that easy!
Other Delicious Beef Soup Recipes
Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup Tips & Tricks
- My biggest suggestion for this recipe is to drain and rinse the ground beef. You can see that this soup has a bit of grease in it (and oh…that is what makes it so lovely!) but a lot of recipes don’t even have you drain it. I suggest doing so as you don’t want a ton of grease in your soup.
- The stronger the beef broth the more beefy your soup will end up and a little extra Worcestershire sauce helps with that as well! I prefer adding in dry macaroni 30 minutes before serving but if you are in a time crunch at the end of the day, pre-cook and then add the pasta in.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Classic Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups beef broth very strong
- One 28 ounce can Chopped Tomatoes
- One 28 ounce can whole Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar to taste if you have a sweeter ketchup you may not need it
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cups cooked elbow macaroni OR 2 cups dry macaroni to add in at the end
- salt and pepper as desired
Instructions
Crockpot Directions
- In a medium frying pan, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease (I also like to rinse it with hot water to remove most of the grease) and place in a large crockpot.
- Add the broth, cans of chopped and whole tomatoes, Worcestershire, ketchup,brown sugar (if wanted) and Italian seasoning. Add more sugar and Worcestershire to taste if needed. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- When you are ready to serve, either add the dry macaroni and let cook for 20-25 minutes OR add cooked macaroni. Let the macaroni heat through and serve!
Instant Pot Directions
- Press the saute button and fry the ground beef and onions until the beef is no longer pink. Add in the garlic. Fry for another minute or so. Drain the grease.
- Use the Instant Pot like the slow cooker, using the slow cook button and the instructions above OR
- Add in the remaining ingredients except for the macaroni. Cook on the SOUP setting for 10 minutes. ( this really helps get the beef flavor going.) Release the pressure manually.
- Add the DRY macaroni, (not cooked or it will be mush!) then cook for 10 minutes on the SOUP setting again. Release manually or with the NPR ( naturally)
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS RECIPE to your DINNER RECIPES Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Michelle says
This is a wonderful classic soup my mom made a lot in winter and when I married it became a staple I n my home too. Thanks for bringing a smile on my face…my crockpot is on the kitchen counter now to make beef and macaroni soup. 🙂
LoriRobicheau says
I tried this with whole wheat macaroni and the macaroni fell a part into little pieces. It ruined the soup does anybody know why.
thekitchenmagpie says
_u*********@li******.com
" profile_url="https://www.livefyre.com/profile/97100154/" ns="true">LoriRobicheau Whole wheat pasta is generally sturdier than white, not the opposite. It must be the brand OR perhaps a rice pasta and not whole wheat? Whole Wheat Pasta usually holds up amazing in soups, I use it all the time.
Susan Forbes says
We took had this made by our Mom when growing up. It was delicious. I think it is high time I made some. I am sharing this recipe on my home page.
Carmen Kostiuk says
I had forgotten how good this soup is. Used to make for my kids all the time
brittany says
i just made this but had to change a few things but i still love it and is super easy.
KaDaBu says
This was delicious and hit the spot on a cold night. Even my picky 8 year old loved it! Thank you for sharing it!
Vickifromwisconsin says
How funny! I’m from Wisconsin and my Mom always made this, but w/o sugars and ketchup and Worcestershire. It is what we called chili. So we’d add tomatoes tomato sauce, kidney beans (I like to use the northern beans in mine, I used to gag on those big old beans with a tougher skin) But anyways, then you also add chili powder. But it definitely looks exactly like our chili! I just figured it was a northern version. Make it lots as the weather cools and always stove top.
Thanks for the memories! Vicki
LindaDacey says
This is my favorite soup. I am so glad I found this recipe! Everyone I have shared it with loves it. I am making it again today.
JalGraham says
Can this be cooked on high in the crockpot for 5 hours instead? Or should it still be set to low for the 5 hours? Nothing is raw so I’m assuming the extra long cook time is just for flavoring.
thekitchenmagpie says
_u*********@li******.com
" profile_url="https://www.livefyre.com/profile/91069827/" ns="true">JalGraham It definitely is for flavoring but also helps break up the tomatoes as well, the acidity and their composition. You can put it on high as well.
JudyLammert says
Ground beef use to be the go to meat when money was tight. But the price of ground beef now is so out of sight. My grannie use to make slumgullion but she uses beans instead of meat. In the depression meat was hard to come by for her family. But either way you make it it brings back warm family memories
Linda Van Beem says
Hi Gracee ~ I am 72 and my grandmother used to make this and she called it slumgullion ~~ 🙂
Cindy Martin Trahan says
John Martin … Your favorite aka poor people soup
The Kitchen Magpie says
The name is AWESOME! That’s so funny that you thought your mom made it up!
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s a crisis!!
Gracee Osann says
omg…. I thought my mom made that word up. I so owe her an apology for giving her such a hard time.
Bev Baxter Thomas Batchelor says
Made this one 2 weeks ago! Only 1 bowl left in freezer! Time to make more!
Linda Van Beem says
We used to call this dish “slumgullion”. Delicious over mashed potatoes with a little butter ~~~~
Barb Overton says
Shared.
Kimberley Tremblay says
this is what I made!!!!! LOVE it 🙂
Bev Baxter Thomas Batchelor says
This is a fav here year round!!
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s SOOOO good, even in the summertime!
Megan Hanson says
Made this the other day!! I love it!
Kelsie Kelly says
Making this for dinner tonight..my kitchen smells so yummy as it simmers on the stove!
The Kitchen Magpie says
A great idea!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Aw I’m so glad that he liked it! It’s just a homey, comforting taste. My favorite soup ever!
The Kitchen Magpie says
It is probably my favorite soup ever. Something is just SO right about it!
Tammy Strausbaugh Wilfong says
I’m in love with this soup and have been known to eat a whole batch of it by myself..over the span of a few days, of course, but it never gets old!! So happy I found this recipe. The slowcooker definitely has an amazing effect on the beef broth!
Marie E. Cater says
l always cook the mac, on the side an ladle the soup over it
Roxanne Brown says
This is an awesome recipe. I made it recently for my Dad. HE LOVED IT. Although . it is nothing like the goulash recipe that I grew up with. This is soup. My goulash recipe is similar to a casserole.
Sarah Schultz says
That whole saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rings true with the kitchen classics