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Lasagna Soup (All the Comfort, None of the Layering) 🍲
I love a good lasagna, but I do not always love spending an hour building one. So this is lasagna turned into a soup: the savory tomato-and-meat sauce, broken noodles, ricotta, and melty cheese, all in one pot. It is another hug in a bowl, and it actually fits into a weeknight. Drop a spoonful of ricotta on top, shower it with mozzarella and parm, and watch it disappear before you even sit down.
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Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or a Stock Pot
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage mild, ground
- 1 medium white or yellow onion chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1-2 tsp salt more to taste
- 8 cups chicken Broth or vegetable
- 10 lasagna noodles broken into pieces
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cups spinach
For the cheese topping
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. Remove the meat from the pot and drain any excess grease.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Cook the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste directly to the onions and garlic. Stir well and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly. This helps deepen the flavor of the soup.
- Build the soup. Pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth. Add the Italian seasoning and salt, then return the cooked beef and sausage to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Cook the noodles. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the broken lasagna noodles. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally so the noodles don't stick together. Cook until the pasta is tender.
- Finish the soup. Stir in the spinach and parsley and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
- Make the cheese topping. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Serve. Ladle the hot lasagna soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous dollop of the ricotta cheese mixture. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the Best Lasagna Soup
- Pasta Options: If you don’t have lasagna noodles, any short pasta like penne or rotini works well.
- Make It Creamier: Stir in a splash of heavy cream for an extra luxurious texture.
- Meal Prep: Keep the soup and pasta separate if making ahead to prevent the noodles from soaking up too much broth.
Nutrition
Tips for Making This Recipe
Cook the noodles right in the soup for ease (or separately if you’re saving leftovers, since they keep drinking up broth). Brown the meat well and let the tomato paste caramelize for deeper flavor. Finish each bowl with a spoon of ricotta and a handful of mozzarella so it goes gooey on top. That’s the lasagna magic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What noodles should I use?
Broken lasagna noodles are classic and fun, but any short pasta works.
Why did my soup get so thick?
The pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. Add a splash of broth when reheating.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl so leftovers don’t turn mushy.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Absolutely. Skip the meat and load it with mushrooms, zucchini, and extra beans.
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