This delectable lasagna soup recipe is a quick and easy way to enjoy lasagna comfort without all the work. It's saucy, cozy, family-loved, and made in one pot using the Instant Pot or stove!
Why we love this recipe
One-pot lasagna soup is a family favorite dinner any day of the week! It's made with tender pasta, rich marinara sauce, juicy beef, and a 3-cheese topping. This easy pasta dinner truly packs all the comfort of lasagna into a cozy homemade soup.
This lasagna soup recipe basically means having lasagna any night of the week because the effort is minimal! It's as easy browning onions and beef, adding sauce ingredients along with dried pasta, and cooking everything together in one pot using the Instant Pot or stove. I've included instructions for both in the recipe card below.
This soup also makes the best leftovers. It travels well and reheats easily, so you even can take it on the go! Of course, lasagna soup is always better with homemade French bread and a salad, so don't forget those!
Ingredient notes
Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below.
- olive oil - Or preferred cooking oil.
- ground beef - Use ground turkey or Italian sausage as a substitute in equal amounts.
- onions and garlic - Use any color onions. Fresh garlic is always preferred.
- canned tomatoes - I recommend crushed tomatoes if you like a slightly thickened broth or diced tomatoes for a thinner broth.
- canned tomato sauce - I recommend plain sauce because you'll add seasonings if you follow this recipe.
- tomato paste - Adds depth of flavor and thickness to the soup.
- chicken broth - Or other variety such as beef broth, vegetable broth, or plain water.
- Italian seasoning - If you don't have store bought make this quick and easy Italian seasoning substitute.
- pasta - This lasagna soup recipe is known for its clever use of bow tie pasta since it holds up so nicely, fits perfectly on a soup spoon, and doesn't get waterlogged. See below for further pasta recommendations.
- cheese - A classic layered lasagna has ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. These make the best toppings for lasagna soup too!
- fresh parsley - This optional garnish is recommended for a pop of color and flavor.
Instant Pot lasagna soup instructions
Get these instructions, along with stove directions, in the full printable recipe card below.
- Sauté the beef, onion, and garlic in the Instant Pot.
- Add remaining ingredients including canned tomato products, broth, and seasonings, but NOT the cheese.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 minute on high pressure. That's not a typo – it's only 1 minute pressure cook time because the pasta is cooking the whole time the Instant Pot lid is closed.
- Release the steam - (QPR) Quick Pressure Release for slightly al dente pasta or (NPR) Natural Pressure Release for softer pasta.
- Serve lasagna soup topped with any combination of the recommended cheeses.
Pressure cooker size matters
I'm rocking my Instant Pot 6 quart Duo in these photos and it's perfectly sized for this 11-cup recipe yield. For a 3 quart Instant Pot, I recommend cutting this recipe in half. To double the recipe, use an 8 and 10 quart pressure cooker size.
Recipe tips and variations
Reduce preparation time by using frozen diced onions and packaged minced garlic.
Use any fat percentage of ground beef. I prefer 90% lean for lasagna soup. If you use a fattier beef, I recommend draining off the excess fat once the beef has browned.
If you use ground turkey, Italian sausage, or meatless crumbles in place of ground beef, the recipe amounts and instructions stay the same.
Substitute canned tomato products with 24-ounce marinara sauce plus 1 cup water for either cooking method. The Instant Pot version may require an additional 1 cup liquid after it cooks to adjust sauce consistency.
Lasagna soup is a naturally thick soup. Adjust the consistency by adding a few cups of your preferred cooking liquid at any point even after it cools completely.
Pasta shapes - I use bowtie pasta for this soup because it's sturdy. I also recommend mini lasagna noodles (aka Mafalda pasta), macaroni, rigatoni, or penne. Conventional lasagna noodles might be too large to pick up with a spoon and can easily overcook in a one-pot method.
Once cooked, the pasta will continue to soak up liquids as the soup cools. So, during reheat, feel free to add more broth to the soup as needed to adjust the consistency.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow lasagna soup to cool completely and refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Transfer cooled soup to airtight freezer containers and place in the freezer up to 3 months (or longer, if vacuum sealed).
- Thaw: Transfer frozen soup to the refrigerator for an overnight stay, or until thawed.
Recommended soup recipes
One Pot Lasagna Soup
INGREDIENTS
This amount yields 11 cups and should NOT be doubled in 6 quart pressure cooker
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (uncooked), or ground turkey
- ½ large Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 (15 ounce can) Diced Tomatoes, keep the juice
- 1 (15 ounce can) Tomato Sauce, or tomato puree
- ½ (6 ounce can) Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Chicken Broth, add 1 to 2 cups for a brothier soup
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- 8 ounces Bowtie Pasta (uncooked), or lasagna noodles (or preferred pasta)
Lasagna Soup Toppings
- ½ cup Ricotta Cheese
- 2 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved, shredded, or fresh grated
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions (stove instructions in recipe footnotes)
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat OLIVE OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add GROUND BEEF, ONION, and GARLIC. Sauté until beef is cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain excess fat, if needed.
- If any browned ingredients are stuck on the pot's surface, add a splash of broth and scrape them with a flat utensil to release them into the ingredients. This is called deglazing and it's "flavor gold".
- Press "Cancel" and stir in DICED TOMATOES (with juice), SAUCE, TOMATO PASTE, BROTH, ITALIAN SEASONING, SALT, PEPPER, and PASTA NOODLES.*Note: if using lasagna noodles, break them into small pieces.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release valve to "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and set the Instant Pot on "High" pressure for 1 minute. (Yes, only 1 minute...the pasta will be perfectly cooked in the time the pot takes to pressurize, pressure cook, and depressurize.)
- When pressure cook cycle is done, you have 2 release options:1) For al dente pasta, use quick pressure release (QPR) to release steam. Please refer to the Instant Pot manual for safety instructions.2) For softer pasta, use natural pressure release NPR (allow pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes after cook cycle is done).
- Once all steam has released, open the lid and stir. Continue to serving instructions.
Serving and Storage
- Serve lasagna soup warm, topped with mozzarella, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
- Store in an airtight container up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 90 days in the freezer (or more if vacuum sealed).
- During reheat, you may need to add more cooking liquid because the noodles may absorb it.
Traci's Recipe Notes
Equipment
- 6 quart Instant Pot or 4 quart soup pot for stove method
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Carol says
I had been craving lasagna but didn't want to go through the hassle of making it. Then I found this soup recipe! So delicious and because it's soup, I think it's even better than lasagna because of the comfort factor. This one is going in the regular rotation. Thanks so much!
Traci says
Yayy! This is exactly how I feel about this one 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment - much appreciated!
Jennifer says
Do you have any recommendations for doing this in a crockpot? I’m taking it to a soup dinner but we won’t be eating until after trick-or-treating. I was hoping to do it in a crockpot to keep it warm.
Traci says
Hi Jennifer, I'll be adding crockpot instructions eventually. What I recommend is that you make the soup following the instructions (for stove or Instant Pot) and when it's party time, use the crockpot as a warming/serving appliance. Let me know if you have any questions about that method 🙂 Enjoy!
Courtney says
This recipe was seriously delicious and so easy!! Thank you!!!!
Traci says
Yay and you're so welcome! I'm glad you went for it and enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for the feedback. I so appreciate it!
Melissa says
I honestly didn't think I was going to prefer this to regular lasagna. But I love my IP and with 5 hungry kids, I needed something they all like, quickly. But this had all the flavor and the noodles cooked perfectly. I added cottage cheese to the bottom of each bowl, topped it with the soup and then mozzarella on top. I had leftover lasagna noodles so I broke them up and they were good but I think I'd like the smaller bow ties better next time. This was a hit and I'll make it again!
Melissa says
Used hamburger and sausage this time - even better! Threw in some banana pepper rings for flavor. Next time I'll use red pepper flakes.
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh yay! Yes, that's a great combo. Sounds like you enjoy spice, as do I, which is why I left this recipe a canvass for doing just that 🙂 Glad you're enjoying it - thanks!
Elissa says
This was super simple and tastes fabulous! I used turkey but I bet it would be even better with 1/2 beef and 1/2 sausage.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Yep, you can use any proteins for this recipe and I like your idea. Thanks for the review!
Ashley says
I made this using mozzarella filled ravioli and it is SO good. Made some homemade breadsticks with it and it’s like having lasagna (my husbands favorite meal) without all the work.
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh yum! I'm so glad you both enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for the feedback! Cheers!
Lori says
Hi Ashley. Did you use frozen Ravioli? Thank you!
Andi says
Making this tonight. Two questions:
1) do you drain the grease after sautéing up the ground beef?
2) have you used frozen or fresh tortellini? If so, same cook time/release time? I like al dente.
Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yep, the recipe indicates to drain any excess grease, if needed. I would definitely not add any tortellini to this soup until after the soup has pressure cooked or the tort will likely become mushy or fall apart. So, it needs to be cooked separately. Let me know if you have other questions and enjoy!
Kalyn says
Do you think this would work using leftover spaghetti sauce with the meat already cooked and in it? Maybe add more broth and diced tomatoes then call it good?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hmmm, you're changing the whole recipe by doing that so I can't say what you'll need to do to call it good. But please, let me know how it turns out if you decide to experiment 🙂 Thanks and enjoy!!
Liya says
So yummy! Third time making it! I used ground turkey and a very popular broth concentrate since I didn't have canned broth and it was equally delicious. Definitely a keeper!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyy! So glad you're enjoying Lasagna Soup for the third time 🙂 I'm so happy to inspire this. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Nevair says
Can't wait to make this! I'm sure it's been asked already, but can't find it. Can you double this batch in an 8 quart pot? If so, does every ingredient get doubled? Also, is this a good soup to freeze?
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes, you can double this Lasagna Soup in an 8 quart pressure cooker. And yes every ingredient gets doubled, but you still follow the same instructions and cook time. And yes, you can freeze this soup just like you would any other 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions or need me to elaborate. Hope you love it like we do. Cheers!
Pam H. says
Wow, this is delicious and so easy! I didn’t have tomato sauce or diced so used our own jar of stewed and two cans of tomato paste. Added some chopped spinach too. This will be a new staple in my meal planning. Thank you for the recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Yes, any tomato products will work for this recipe as long as the amounts are similar. Sounds like you nailed it 🙂 Thanks for the feedback and so glad you enjoyed!