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Home / Main Dishes / Soup

Hearty Lasagna Soup

5
/5
45 minutes
6 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 02/01/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Lasagna Soup has all the classic lasagna flavors, with none of the layering and extra work. This hearty and easy to make soup is ready quickly, so it's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Plus, stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker directions!
This Lasagna Soup has all the classic lasagna flavors, with none of the layering and extra work. This hearty and easy to make soup is ready quickly, so it's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Plus, stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker directions!
This Lasagna Soup has all the classic lasagna flavors, with none of the layering and extra work. This hearty and easy to make soup is ready quickly, so it's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Plus, stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker directions!

This Lasagna Soup has all the classic lasagna flavors, with none of the layering and extra work. This hearty and easy to make soup is ready quickly, so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Plus, stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker directions!

This is one of my Soup recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

white bowl of lasagna soup topped with ricotta cheese and fresh basil
Pin this recipe for later!

It’s the middle of Winter in the Midwest, which means it’s perfect soup weather!

Not only are soups delicious, but they absolutely hit the spot on a cold evening.

Plus, soup is great to make ahead of time, or at least prep ahead, which is absolutely perfect for those weeknights where you need dinner on the table pretty quickly!

While I love a great classic lasagna recipe, I don’t love all the time and labor that goes into it.

This lasagna soup hits all those flavor notes, with many of the exact same ingredients, but comes together in about 40-45 minutes (or less, if you prep ahead)!

How to make lasagna soup?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step photos of how to make lasagna soup
  1. Cook meat. Drain and set aside for now.
  2. Saute veggies. This is the onion and garlic, just until softened.
  3. Deepen the flavor. Adding the tomato pasta and sauteing it for a minute will add extra flavor, as well as make it incorporate into the soup better.
  4. Add meat, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
  5. Boil pasta. This is also a great time to make the herbed ricotta topping.
  6. Stir in cream. This adds richness to the soup.
  7. Serve. Add some pasta to a bowl, then ladle over some of the soup. Top with a dollop of herbed ricotta and any additional cheeses.

Helpful Tip!

While I recommend using a dutch oven to cook the stovetop version of this recipe, I recognize that not everyone owns one (and I don’t want you to feel like you have to have one to cook this soup). Just use any large, preferably heavy-bottomed, pot that you normally use to cook soup, and it’ll work just fine 🙂

pouring a ladle of lasagna soup over cooked noodles in a white bowl

Variations of this recipe

  • Meat – if you don’t love the combo of beef and Italian sausage, please feel free to use all beef, or all sausage.
  • Pasta – I love using malfada pasta, since it has the wavy edges just like lasagna, but if you can’t find it, you can just break regular lasagna pasta into 1 inch pieces.
  • Marinara – for ease and convenience, I developed this recipe to use store-bought marinara sauce. But if you want to use homemade marinara, please feel free!
  • Cream – adding the cream at the end adds richness, but can be omitted if you’d like. You could also try to use half and half or whole milk, but these haven’t been tested.
  • Topping – the basil ricotta topping is something that really mimics the ricotta layer of lasagna, but if you would like to, you can omit it.
close up photo of a bowl of lasagna soup with an herbed ricotta dollop on top with fresh basil

FAQ’s

Can this soup recipe be made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot?

Absolutely! I’ve included alternate directions for cooking lasagna soup in the slow cooker and Instant Pot in the “chef tips” section right below the full recipe.

Where can I find malfada pasta?

Some larger grocery stores may carry it, but I have the best luck finding it online (from Amazon). Alternately, you can use campanelle pasta, broken up lasagna pasta, or any short cut of pasta you prefer.

Why do I have to cook the pasta separately?

Most lasagna soup recipes call for the pasta to be cooked right in the soup, which is great for cutting down on dishes, but is problematic when it comes to leftovers. The pasta will soak up too much of the liquid, get mushy, and leave you with a dry soup.

overhead photo of a white bowl filled with lasagna soup

Making lasagna soup ahead of time

Soups are amazing to make ahead of time, since most of the time, they actually taste better the next day! All the flavors have had time to really meld together.

This soup should last for up to a week in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it completely ahead of time if you’d like.

How to prep ahead for this recipe

To cut down on prep time, you can also do following:

  • Veggies – the onion and garlic can be chopped and stored in the refrigerator.
  • Spices – the spices can all be combined and stored at room temperature.
  • Pasta – the pasta can be boiled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator (tossed with a little olive oil to help prevent sticking).
  • Ricotta – the ricotta topping can be combined and stored in the refrigerator.
a spoonful of lasagna soup

Storage

Leftover soup should be refrigerated and enjoyed within 5-7 days.

For best results, store the soup and the pasta separately, otherwise the pasta soaks up too much of the liquid from the soup and gets mushy.

More Soup Recipes:

bowl of creamy tomato basil soup with Parmesan cheese and basil
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Beef Barley soup
Beef Barley Soup
chicken tortilla soup
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
tortellini soup
Sausage Tortellini Soup
dutch oven

My Favorite Dutch Oven!

This is my secret weapon in the kitchen!  I use mine for making bread, soups/chilis, frying and more.  Since LeCreuset is expensive, this is a more economical option that’s still a great pot!

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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

white bowl of lasagna soup topped with ricotta cheese and fresh basil

Hearty Lasagna Soup

5 from 4 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Calories: 648
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
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This Lasagna Soup has all the classic lasagna flavors, with none of the layering and extra work.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild)
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 24 oz jar marinara sauce we love Rao's
  • 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
  • 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 8 oz malfada pasta or about 10 lasagna noodles broken into roughly 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Herbed Ricotta Topping

  • 8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Garnishes

  • shredded mozzarella cheese
  • grated Parmesan cheese
  • minced fresh basil and or parsley
  • pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Cook the meats

  • Heat a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over MED HIGH heat. Once hot, add a drizzle of olive oil if desired, then add beef and sausage.
  • Cook until well browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain and set aside.

Cook the veggies

  • Add butter to empty pot, and reduce heat to MED. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
  • Add tomato paste and stir well to mix the tomato paste with the onions and garlic. Return beef and sausage to the pot.

Make the soup

  • Add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.
  • Increase heat to MED HIGH and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and simmer for about 20 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.

Boil the pasta

  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil pasta for 1 minute less than the package directions say. Drain and set aside.

Make the ricotta topping

  • Combine the ricotta topping ingredients in a small bowl, then set aside.

Finish the soup

  • Once soup has simmered, remove bay leaf, and stir in heavy cream and cook several minutes to warm it through.

Serve

  • To serve, add some of the cooked pasta to a bowl, then ladle soup over the top. Stir well, then sprinkle the soup with some mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil, black pepper, and a dollop of the ricotta topping.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. I’ve estimated this serves approximately 6-8 people, but those serving sizes aren’t measured precisely, it’s just a rough estimate.
  2. The pasta can be boiled in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (tossed with a little olive oil to help prevent sticking), and the ricotta topping can be made in advance and stored in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator.

To cook the pasta IN the soup:

  1. Use an extra 2-3 cups of broth (chicken or beef), and add the noodles after you add all the broths, vinegar, and spices.
  2. If the soup looks and feels like the pasta is soaking up too much broth, and you need more, feel free to add more broth (or even water).
  3. I recommend stirring occasionally during the simmering step, so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and you might want to stir more frequently the closer the soup is to being done simmering.

Instant Pot Directions:

  1. Turn on Instant Pot and select “saute”.  Once hot, add beef and sausage. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain and set aside.
  2. Add butter and onion, cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft.
  3. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook about 30 seconds, then add the cooked beef and sausage back to the pot.
  4. Add about 2 cups of the chicken broth to the pot, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to make sure no browned bits are stuck on there.
  5. Press “cancel” to cancel the saute mode.
  6. Add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, remaining chicken broth, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.
  7. Give a gentle stir, then secure Instant Pot lid, and make sure the valve is set to “sealing”.  Press “pressure cook” or “manual” mode, and adjust the time so the display reads 5 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil pasta for 1 minute less than the package directions say. Drain and set aside.
  9. Combine the ricotta topping ingredients in a small bowl.
  10. Once cooking time has elapsed, don’t touch the Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally for about 5.  After that amount of time, release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to “venting”.
  11. Select “saute”, then remove bay leaf, and add heavy cream.
  12. Cook for a minute or two, until the cream is warmed.
  13. Serve with herbed ricotta topping and desired garnishes.

Slow Cooker Directions:

  1. Brown beef and sausage in a skillet over MED HIGH heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain, then add to the insert of a slow cooker.
  2. Omit the butter, and just add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste right on top of the beef and sausage.
  3. Add marinara, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.
  4. Stir well to combine, then cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  5. Before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil pasta for 1 minute less than the package directions say. Drain and set aside.
  6. Combine the ricotta topping ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
  7. Open the slow cooker lid and remove the bay leaf, and add the heavy cream. Stir well and let warm through.
  8. Serve with herbed ricotta topping and desired garnishes.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Juliane says

    Posted on 2/6 at 3:45 am

    This lasagna soup is everything! I am in love!

    Reply
  2. Catalina says

    Posted on 2/3 at 4:29 pm

    Mmmmm…. the flavors of my favorite dish in a soup! My family will love it!

    Reply
  3. katerina says

    Posted on 2/3 at 10:01 am

    I can’t wait to try this! My family would love, LOVE it!!

    Reply
  4. Erin says

    Posted on 2/3 at 4:26 am

    Looks absolutely fantastic! I would love to make this!

    Reply
  5. Beth says

    Posted on 2/2 at 2:40 pm

    I’m really looking forward to making this! I love lasagna soup and your ingredient suggestions are so great for switching things up.

    Reply
  6. Paula says

    Posted on 2/1 at 9:50 pm

    Looks delicious. I appreciate your alternate ingredient suggestions and am looking forward to making the soup.

    Reply

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