Macaroni Soup with Herbs and Spinach

This macaroni soup with herbs and spinach is hearty and nourishing and just perfect for a cold day. Loaded with veggies, lean ground beef, and pasta, this simple macaroni soup without tomatoes is also super easy to make. Bonus — the leftovers taste amazing!

Macaroni soup with lean ground beef, herbs and spinach is a super comforting soup that’s easy to make even on a busy day.

It’s the perfect soup to try if you’ve been looking for a macaroni soup without tomatoes. The garlic and herbs infuse the soup with great flavours that will remind you of Italian wedding soup.

Why you’ll love this macaroni soup

• It’s hearty and flavourful. This macaroni soup has a good mix of carbs and protein and will keep you full for hours. The garlic and fresh herb flavours take it to another level!
• It’s very easy to make. It only takes 40 minutes to make macaroni soup from start to finish.
• Leftovers taste amazing. This soup tastes great the next day because the flavours have more time to set.

What goes into this easy macaroni soup

Olive oil — A glug of olive oil is the perfect foundation for browning the ground beef and sautéing the aromatics. If you don’t cook with oil, you can use a bit of vegetable or chicken stock instead.

Lean ground beef — I like to make this soup with lean ground beef (5% fat). You can also use ground turkey for an even skinnier meal.

Onion, carrot and celery — These form the aromatic base of the soup. I like to dice them on the smaller side, so they cook quickly and evenly.

Garlic — Freshly chopped or crushed garlic is best for soups like this. The garlic pairs perfectly with the fresh herbs — feel free to add as much as you like.

Fresh rosemary and thyme — The herbs infuse this macaroni soup with incredible flavour. If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, you can substitute them with a tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix.

Red chilli flakes — Only add chilli flakes if you want this soup to have a bit of a kick.

Elbow pasta — I used elbow pasta in this soup, but any small kind of pasta such as ditalini would work.

Vegetable stock — I used veggie stock instead of beef to keep the soup look clear. I find that beef stock is overpowering the herbs here, but if you don’t mind that, you can use whatever broth you like.

Baby spinach — This adds loads of freshness and brightness to the soup, not to mention vitamins!

How to make macaroni soup

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cook the ground beef for 5-6 minutes until browned.

Add the onion, carrot and celery and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, rosemary and thyme and red chilli flakes and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the macaroni and stock to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dente.

Stir in the baby spinach and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes until wilted.

Season to taste and serve with your favourite crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

• Macaroni soup will keep well in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container.
• You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. The pasta will continue to soak up the liquid as it sits, so you may need to add some more stock when reheating leftovers.
• If you want to freeze the soup, it’s best to do so without the pasta. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.

Recipe notes and tips

• This macaroni soup is hearty enough to enjoy on its own, but you can also serve it with a slice of crusty Italian bread or sourdough.
• To make the soup extra hearty, add a cubed potato with the onion, carrot and celery.
• I like this macaroni soup without tomatoes, but feel free to add a can of chopped tomatoes or 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

If you liked this macaroni soup with herbs and spianch, you might also like some of my other easy soup recipes:

• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup
• Creamy Dill Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogórkowa)
• Italian Sausage Soup with Orzo and Kale
• Vegetable Stelline Soup

Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!