This easy and delicious Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe Soup is THE BEST SOUP RECIPE for kids and adults!!
Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe Soup
My family DEVOURED this delicious bowl of soup made with ground beef, tomatoes, and tiny pasta. It’s warm and comforting, like a great big hug on a cold winter day. Kid-friendly, freezer-friendly! If you love acini de pepe (one of my favorite pasta shapes), I think you’ll also love this Chicken Soup with Spinach and Acini De Pepe or use it in place of orzo in the Italian Wedding Soup. You can also see more Soup Recipes here
This AMAZING soup was inspired from a small deli I visited after the funeral of a woman who was like a grandma to me, and this soup was aptly called Grandma’s Soup. I loved how the bits of meat tasted almost like meatballs, without having to do the extra work.
I recreated that at home and it’s become one of my most popular soup recipes!! Tommy and my oldest Karina like to top theirs with shredded mozzarella and grated Pecorino Romano with a slice of crusty toasted bread (they call it pizza soup). I like to top mine with grated Pecorino Romano and a dollop of ricotta, which is completely optional but SO worth it! Madison complained about the chunks of tomatoes (kids!) so I started making it with crushed tomatoes instead.
I decided to do this in my Instant Pot (affil link) because I love the saute feature and how quick it cooks and how tender the lean beef gets, but you can also make this on the stove, conventional pressure cooker or slow cooker – I’ve included directions below for all!
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love:
- Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Bows with Cilantro Lime Quinoa
- Beef and Mushroom Ragu with Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Garlicky Cuban Pork
Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe Soup (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker + Stove Top)
Ingredients
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 1- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes, I prefer crushed tuttorosso
- 32 oz beef stock*
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 oz small pasta such as Acini di pepei*
- grated parmesan cheese and ricotta, optional
- *check labels for gluten-free.
Instructions
Instant Pot Recipe:
- Press the saute button, when it's very hot add the ground beef and salt and cook until browned breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks. When browned, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, beef stock and bay leaves, close and using pressure cooker press soup (35 minutes).
- After that use the quick release, once the pressure is out open, add the pasta and stir, cover and press manual pressure 6 minutes (I did half the time directed on package of pasta). Remove bay leaves and serve.
Stove top directions:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute the beef and salt on high heat until browned, breaking the meat up into small bits. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, cover and cook low until the beef and the vegetables are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (you may need to add more broth or water if it evaporates too much).
- Add the pasta, stir and cook according to package directions.
Slow Cooker directions:
- In a large nonstick skillet, saute the beef and salt on high heat until browned, breaking the meat up into small bits. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, cover and cook low 8 hours.
- Just before it's ready cook the pasta on the stove according to package directions. Add the pasta, stir and cook according to package directions.
