Get ready to indulge in the cozy comfort of lasagna without all the hassle! This easy lasagna soup recipe will become your new go-to for satisfying weeknight dinners. It is packed with all the classic flavors of lasagna but in a savory soup form.
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I’ve taken my baked lasagna recipe and turned it into a one-pot dish. Each serving of this lasagna soup is hearty, with thick pieces of pasta, a meaty tomato sauce, and three types of cheese. You get all of the components of the classic layered casserole in one bowl.
You will sear the ground beef and pork to develop flavor, then simmer with tomatoes and pasta until tender. No need to cook the lasagna in a separate pot! This recipe for lasagna soup only takes about 30 minutes to cook and is ready to serve with crusty garlic bread.
Key ingredients
- Pasta: Use dried lasagna noodles, about 7 ounces or 8 pieces. No-boil lasagna can be used but will cook faster. Break them into about 1-inch wide pieces. Fresh homemade pasta is a great option, but check for doneness after the first 5 minutes and then each minute after.
- Soup Base: For convenience, use marinara sauce as the soup base. Store-bought jars typically use tomato paste for thickness, plus I’ve added petite diced tomatoes for extra texture. You’ll need 23 ounces for the recipe. Add unsalted beef stock or broth for flavor and to dilute the consistency.
- Meat: Use two types of meat: ground beef and fresh Italian pork sausage. My family prefers mild sausage, but you can use spicy for a kick of heat.
- Seasonings: To season the soup, fresh onion and garlic, dried Italian seasoning for a concentrated herbaceous note, salt, and pepper.
- Cheese: For a creamy consistency, make a mixture of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, chopped parsley, and fresh basil.
Saute the aromatics
Make the lasagna soup in a large, heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven. It holds the heat well, effectively browning the meat and simmers the ingredients. To add dimension to the soup, saute diced yellow onions in hot olive oil.
Add in minced garlic for pungency. You don’t want to overly brown the alliums; just evaporate some of the moisture to enhance the onions’ natural sweetness.
Brown the meat
I prefer to use between 80 to 90% ground beef. This adds a meaty taste and has extra fat for flavor and richness. Fresh ground pork sausage is savory and tender, complementing the more mild beef. I use a half pound of each, but changing the ratios or using one type of meat is easy. Sear to brown the surface and develop more flavor.
Use a meat masher or wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces. If you let the protein thoroughly cook, it will tighten up and be more challenging to break into round chunks. The process only takes about 3 to 5 minutes when cooking over medium-high heat—season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Make the soup
Once the meat is no longer pink, add in the marinara sauce, a whole can of diced tomatoes with the juices, and beef broth. Chicken broth or stock may be substituted. The mixture may seem thin at first. However, the consistency will thicken once the dried noodles are added and cooked.
Cook the pasta
Cooking the noodles directly in the same pot with the tomato soup saves you time, with fewer pots to clean! Add the broken-up pieces of lasagna to the boiling soup. Give it a good stir, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the flat noodles from sticking together. It will absorb the water and tenderize in about 25 minutes.
The starches released from the flour in the pasta will create a thickened consistency. The longer it sits in the pot, the more water will be absorbed. Adjust the consistency as needed with more liquid. If you like a thinner soup, add more beef broth or water.
Make the cheese topping
This lasagna soup’s most highly anticipated part is the big dollops of creamy ricotta cheese mixture. Like in between the layers of traditional lasagna, I combine whole milk ricotta with melty mozzarella and salty parmesan.
Chopped herbs like parsley and fresh-cut basil add an enticing aroma once stirred into the hot soup. If you prefer a creamier texture, stir in a portion of the cheese mixture. Alternatively, ladle the soup into bowls and add a generous scoop of cheese on top.
Flavor variations
Lasagna soup is easy to customize! Try these tasty suggestions to switch up each batch:
- Pasta: Instead of lasagna, try other types of pasta like farfalle, orechette, cochigle, tortellini, or ravioli. Wider cuts or filling pasta will give a heartier texture.
- Tomatoes: Instead of marinara, make your own sauce with a few tablespoons of tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. If you have ripe and sweet tomatoes, dice them up and add them to the soup.
- Meat: Use mild, medium, or spicy Italian sausage. If using precooked sausage, slice or dice them up and saute. Ground chicken or turkey can be used instead of beef. Add meatballs!
- Spicy: For a spicy flavor, add red chili flakes, minced hot peppers, or hot sauce.
- Vegetables: Add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, or zucchini. Stir in baby spinach or kale right before serving.
- Cheese: Instead of ricotta, use crème fraîche or cream cheese. Use Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano instead of parmesan.
- Cream: For an even thicker soup, add ½ to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream at the end of cooking.
Serving suggestions
- Focaccia bread
- Caesar salad
- Caprese salad
- Bruschetta
- Tiramisu
- Grandma’s famous meatballs
Frequently asked questions
Lasagna soup can be cooked for 3 to 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low setting. In an Instant Pot, saute the alliums and meat, add the sauce ingredients and lasagna, then cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes, then quick release.
I recommend substituting the ground beef and sausage for sliced mushrooms for an umami taste and chewy texture or other vegetarian proteins like crumbled firm tofu or seitan. Use dairy-free cheese substitutes.
Yes! While the soup is simmering, add diced bell peppers, zucchini, corn, or mushrooms. Wilt spinach or kale at the end of cooking for extra leafy greens.
Yes! The lasagna soup freezes well for up to 6 months. Freeze the cheese mixture separate from the soup and defrost. Add more beef stock or water to thin out the soup when reheating.
What’s the difference between regular dried lasagna noodles and no-boil?
Regular lasagna noodles with ribbon edges are thicker than no-boil varieties. No-boil noodles (or oven-ready) are thinner, so they tenderize quicker in the oven without cooking in water. They are pre-cooked and then dehydrated, making them much faster to work with. When used in a lasagna soup, traditional noodles soak up more water and need more time to hydrate and soften. No-boil noodles will create a slightly thinner consistency.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 8 dried lasagna noodles, about 7 ounces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion, ¼" dice
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ pound ground beef, 80 to 90% lean
- ½ pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 23 ounces marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 4 cups unsalted beef broth, or stock
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
Instructions
- Prepare the Lasagna – Carefully break the dried pasta into about 1-inch wide pieces. Set aside.
- Saute the Aromatics – In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté onions until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Brown the Meat – Add the beef and sausage to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high, break the meat into smaller pieces. Cook until no pink remains, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
- Make the Soup – Stir in marinara sauce, diced tomatoes with the juice, and 4 cups beef broth.
- Cook the Pasta – Bring the soup to a boil, then add the lasagna pieces. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. For a thinner soup, gradually add beef broth or water until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.
- Make the Cheese Topping – In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and basil. Reserve for topping on the soup. For a creamier soup, stir in some of the cheese topping, saving the rest for topping.
- To Serve – Divide the soup into bowls. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture. If desired, garnish with more parsley and basil.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 8 cups
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: Warm on the stove top, adding in more water or beef broth to thin the consistency.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Marie says
I’ve never been tempted to make Lasagna in a pan but this soup was an easy put together. Delicious!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! Thank you so much for making the recipe, Marie!
Joan Macgillivray says
I will definitely make this again! I particularly liked how I could make it for as many people that are eating dinner and save the sauce for other meals.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback!