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Easy Lasagna Soup
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This easy lasagna soup has all the flavors you love from classic lasagna – savory meat, rich tomato sauce, tender pasta, and plenty of melty cheese, transformed into a cozy one-pot meal. Instead of layering noodles, sauce, and cheese in a baking dish, everything comes together in one pot for a faster, weeknight-friendly version of the Italian favorite.
Made with ground beef and sausage simmered in a tomato-based broth with Italian herbs like basil and oregano, this hearty soup is perfect for chilly fall and winter nights. The lasagna noodles cook directly in the broth, soaking up flavor, and each bowl is finished with a dollop of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan that melts right into the soup for the ultimate comfort food. Craving more dishes like this? My white bean and kale tomato soup recipe and pasta e fagioli recipe is right up your alley.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-Pot Wonder – All the flavors of traditional lasagna with fewer dishes and less effort.
- Cozy & Comforting – Perfect for chilly nights when you’re craving warm, hearty comfort food.
- Family-Friendly – A recipe loved by both kids and adults, making it ideal for weeknight dinners.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Sausage – I use hot Italian sausage with the casings removed in this recipe though you can easily swap it with mild Italian sausage. I use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into smaller pieces so that as it cooks it evenly browns.
- Ground beef – I use a blend of 80% lean/ 20% fat ground beef for this lasagna soup. Remember fat equals flavor!
- Marinara – Make your own homemade marinara sauce or use store-bought marinara sauce for a shortcut in this recipe. There’s nothing wrong with canned sauce, and it can be an easy shortcut, but since the homemade sauce only requires a few ingredients, I typically prefer to make my own.
- Lasagna noodles – I break up store-bought sheets of regular lasagna noodles (not no cook) into about 2” pieces and add to the soup so that it cooks in the broth. A different pasta noodle can be added in place of the lasagna.
- Ricotta – Ricotta is a mild, soft and creamy Italian cheese that is made from the leftover whey created when making mozzarella and other similar cheeses. The texture and look is similar to cottage cheese. I always choose whole milk ricotta over part-skim because the latter can be watery.
- Mozzarella – I use part-skim, also called low-moisture mozzarella cheese in this recipe. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content and doesn’t mix well into the cheese mixture used for topping.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Greens: Add in some greens like chopped kale or spinach and simmer in the broth.
- Meat: Swap the sausage and beef in this recipe with another meat like ground chicken or ground turkey. The Italian sausage can also be substituted with chicken sausage.
- Pasta: You can use any type of pasta in place of the lasagna noodles.
- Marinara: The marinara sauce can be swapped with 1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes.
- Spice: If you like a bit more spice, stir ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the broth.
How to make this vegetarian
To make a vegetarian variation on this recipe simply leave the sausage and ground meat out and swap the chicken stock with vegetable broth. To make it vegan, also omit the cheese topping.
Pro tip
I recommend serving this simple lasagna soup recipe with a side of garlic bread.
How to Make Easy Lasagna Soup (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the sausage and beef and brown, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook until it is soft. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste followed by the marinara, chicken stock, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce reduces slightly. Season to taste with salt.
Add the lasagna pieces and cook in the broth until al dente.
In a small bowl stir together the ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Ladle lasagna soup into bowls and top with a scoop of the ricotta mixture and fresh basil. Serve hot.
How to cook lasagna soup in a crockpot
Rather than making this recipe on the stove, it can also be made in a crockpot or instant pot. Sauté the meat in a pan and add it to the crockpot. Sauté onion and garlic then add to the crockpot as well, followed by the remaining ingredients.
How to store and reheat lasagna soup
This soup can be stored, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the cheese topping in a separate container. When reheating, the pasta may soak up a lot of the broth, so I recommend adding more broth or water as needed.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The broth and meat base can be made in advance. For the best texture, cook the noodles just before serving, or keep them separate and add when reheating.
Broken lasagna noodles are classic, but you can also use mafaldine (mini lasagna ribbons), bowties, or even penne if that’s what you have on hand.
Yes! Swap the meat for extra mushrooms, zucchini, or lentils, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef stock.
Yes, but for best results, freeze the soup without the pasta. Add freshly cooked noodles when reheating so they don’t become mushy.
A mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan gives that classic lasagna flavor. Cottage cheese can also be used as a lighter substitute for ricotta.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this simple lasagna soup recipe, I recommend checking out some of these comforting recipes:
Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).
Easy Lasagna Soup
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Ingredients:
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound hot italian sausage, casings removed
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3½ cups homemade marinara, or 1 (28-ounce) jar store-bought marinara
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 8 to 10 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
For the topping:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
- ¼ cup basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
Instructions:
For the soup:
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the sausage and beef and brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until it is soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste followed by the marinara, chicken stock, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce reduces slightly, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
- Add the lasagna pieces and cook in the broth until al dente, about 8 minutes.
For the topping:
- In a small bowl stir together the ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For serving:
- Ladle lasagna soup into bowls and top with a scoop of the ricotta mixture and fresh basil. Serve hot.
Nutrition:
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We loved this – perfect for a cold night, such an easy and delicious recipe! All the flavors of lasagna with only a quarter of the labor and time!