Creamy Tomato Soup with Ground Beef and Noodles

Creamy beef tomato soup with noodles is a hearty, easy, and family-friendly one-pot meal!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword beef and noodle soup, beef tomato soup, creamy tomato soup, ground beef and noodle soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 294kcal

1 lb. ground beef (or sub with Italian sausage)
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup total)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
4 cups chicken broth or beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1 cup (about 3 ½ - 4 ounces) uncooked small pasta, such as small shells, elbow macaroni, ditalini, or mini wagon wheels
4 ounces (half of a block) cream cheese, diced into cubes and softened at room temperature
Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as basil or parsley; freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion; sauté until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the jar of marinara sauce, broth, tomato sauce, brown sugar, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cream cheese and whisk until the cheese melts smoothly into the hot broth, about 3-5 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I've listed the brown sugar as an optional ingredient. We add sugar to tomato soup in order to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, which results in a more complex and robust tomato flavor. That said, if you're using a relatively sweet marinara sauce, you may not need the extra sugar at all.

Stir the pot regularly so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Remove the pot from the heat before adding the softened cream cheese. The cream cheese is less likely to separate or curdle if it's room temperature when it goes into the pot, and if you do not boil the broth after adding the cheese. Whisk continually until the cheese fully melts and the broth is smooth.

The seasonings are fairly simple in this dish, so you may want to add extra fresh or dried herbs to taste. Other good options include thyme, rosemary, or an Italian seasoning blend.

Garnish with plenty of freshly grated cheese or chopped fresh herbs for an extra flavor boost.