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This easy lasagna soup recipe gives you all the cozy flavors of classic lasagna without the work of layering. Everything cooks in one pot with a rich tomato broth, choice of pasta, and a simple three-cheese topping that melts right into the soup.
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What Is Lasagna Soup?
Lasagna soup is a deconstructed version of traditional lasagna made in one pot. Instead of layering noodles, sauce, and cheese in a baking dish, all the ingredients simmer together in a cozy tomato-based soup, then finished with classic lasagna cheeses on top.
You get the same comforting flavors, but with a lot less effort and cleanup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It delivers all the comfort of lasagna without layering or baking.
- Everything cooks in one pot, which keeps cleanup simple.
- The instructions are easy enough for beginner cooks.
- It travels and reheats well, making it perfect for leftovers and lunches.
Lasagna Soup Ingredients
Soup base: Olive oil is used to sauté the ground beef, onion, and fresh garlic to build flavor. Any neutral oil will work for this recipe.
Protein: Ground beef adds classic lasagna flavor. Any fat content works here, so use what you usually buy.
Tomato broth: Canned tomatoes form the base of the soup. Whole, diced, or crushed all work. Tomato sauce smooths the broth, and tomato paste adds richness and thickness.
Liquid: Broth is the main cooking liquid. Chicken broth is my go-to, but vegetable or beef broth works too. Add water as needed as the pasta absorbs liquid.
Seasoning and pasta: Italian seasoning brings familiar lasagna flavor with no extra steps. Sturdy pasta shapes like bowtie, penne, rigatoni, or macaroni hold their texture best, especially for leftovers.
Toppings: Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan give the soup its classic lasagna finish. Fresh parsley adds color and a little freshness.
Best Pasta for Lasagna Soup
Sturdy pasta shapes like bowtie, penne, rigatoni, or macaroni work exceptionally well in lasagna soup because they hold their shape and reheat well. If you’d like to use lasagna noodles, break them into pieces before adding them to the pot. They soften more as the soup sits, so they’re best enjoyed the same day or added closer to serving time.
How to Make Lasagna Soup
Start by heating a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic until the meat is fully browned and the vegetables are softened. If there’s excess grease in the pot, drain it before moving on.
Next, stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, and Italian seasoning. Give everything a good stir so the tomato paste dissolves and the soup base is smooth and evenly combined.
Add the pasta to the pot and bring the lasagna soup to a gentle boil. Loosely cover, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Add small amounts of water or broth as needed, as the pasta absorbs liquid and thickens the soup.
Once the pasta is cooked, the soup is ready to be served and devoured.
How to Serve Lasagna Soup
Lasagna soup doesn’t need as much cheese as traditional layered lasagna, but it still delivers that classic flavor. You can:
- Stir ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan directly into the pot, or
- Add the cheeses to individual bowls for a more customizable option
Finish with fresh parsley for color and a little brightness. Serve it with homemade French bread or homemade focaccia and a kale salad.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Pasta options: Sturdy shapes like bowtie, macaroni, rigatoni, or penne hold up best for leftovers and reheating. You can also use lasagna noodles broken into pieces, but they soften more quickly, so I recommend enjoying the soup within a day or two.
- Protein swaps: Any ground meat can be substituted for ground beef using the same cooking method.
- Tomato texture: For a thicker tomato soup-style broth, use canned crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes.
- Marinara shortcut: If you don’t have the individual canned tomato products on hand, a 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce plus about one cup of water works well as a simple substitute.
- Reheating tips: When reheating, add small amounts of broth or water as needed since the pasta continues to absorb liquid even after the soup has cooled.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Let the lasagna soup cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Transfer cooled soup to airtight freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze without the cheese toppings.
- Thaw: Move frozen soup to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. Avoid thawing at room temperature.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding broth or water as needed to loosen the soup.
More Cozy Soup Recipes to Try
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
- Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Lasagna Soup Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
This amount yields 12 cups
- 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or preferred oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce can) Diced Tomatoes, don't drain
- 1 (15-ounce can) Tomato Sauce, or tomato puree
- ⅓ cup Tomato Paste, about half of a 6-ounce can
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1-2 cups Water, to adjust consistency
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt, or more as needed to adjust flavor
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces Bowtie Pasta (uncooked), or similar sturdy pasta * see footnote
Suggested toppings: You can measure these with your ❤️
- 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
See recipe footnotes for pressure cooker instructions
- Heat a 4.5-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add GROUND BEEF, ONIONS, and GARLIC. Sauté until the beef is cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain excess fat, if needed.
- Stir in TOMATOES (with their juice), TOMATO SAUCE, TOMATO PASTE, BROTH, ITALIAN SEASONING, SALT, PEPPER, and PASTA NOODLES.
- Increase the heat to HIGH and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cook soup for 10 to 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked to your liking, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking together.At this point you can add WATER or more broth in small amounts to adjust the soup consistency to your liking.
- Serving options: 1) Add the RICOTTA, MOZZARELLA, and PARMESAN to the whole soup after it cools slightly; or 2) Serve the cheeses on the side and add it to individual servings. Garnish with FRESH PARSLEY.
- To store: Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or up to 90 days in the freezer (or more if vacuum sealed).To reheat: Add more water or broth as desired because the noodles will have absorbed much of the broth.
Recipe Notes
Pressure Cooker Instructions
Select Sauté and heat the olive oil in the cooker. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic, and cook until the beef is browned. Drain excess fat, then deglaze the pot with a small splash of broth and press Cancel. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, seasonings, and pasta. Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 1 minute. For al dente pasta, use a quick release. For softer pasta, allow a natural release for about 10 minutes. Open the lid, stir, and adjust the consistency with water if needed. Serve as directed above. Note: If doubling the recipe, use an 8- or 10-quart pressure cooker to safely accommodate the volume.Equipment
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Erika Nelson says
Made it, loved it. So easy. I did add 2T sugar. A BIG dollop of ricotta on top really makes it. Thank you
Traci says
So glad you loved it! I’m right there with you — that ricotta on top really brings everything together. Thank you for making my recipe and for taking the time to let me know how much you loved it! Enjoy!!
Julia says
SO good! Huge win for our family of 6!
Traci says
Woohoo! Always love hearing this! Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy!! 🙂
RFN says
Recipe sounds good but why call it "lasagne" when you use a different type of pasta?
Traci says
Good question! I call it lasagna soup because it has all the classic flavors of lasagna—tomato sauce, meat, seasonings, and cheese—just in soup form. Bowtie pasta works great here and holds up better than lasagna noodles in my opinion. But you can absolutely use broken lasagna noodles if you prefer the traditional look.
Carl says
Hi Traci,
I have used many of your recipes and love them. I normally make recipes to the T, but today I altered due to the ingredients that I had. I ended up making a double because I had some frozen ground beef that needed to be used and wanted to do this one again, but subbed many of the ingredients on hand, but used your recipe as the base. Used 2 cans of the diced garlic basil & oregano tomatoes, 2 boxes manicotti noodles that I smashed. (found clearanced) a jar of mushroom and onion pasta sauce in place of the tomato sauce and used chicken bouillon powder. It has turned out pretty darn good. Thank you for your recipes and the time you take to help in many different ways gf. Happy cooking!
Traci says
That's super resourceful and I'm glad you enjoyed! Using what you have on hand is super smart these days. Thanks for trying my recipes and for sharing your experience here.
Beth says
This one is a keeper!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying my recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xoxo
Justin says
I've made this several times, and it never disappoints! This is one of the limited number of recipes in my arsenal that everyone in the family will eat without complaint; very rare. Thank you so much! I've got a double batch almost done right now. I use San Marzano tomatoes (when they are on sale) and crush them with my hands.
Traci says
I love hearing when a recipe becomes a family win! Those tomatoes are such a great touch too. Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m so glad this one earned a spot in your regular rotation!
Danielle says
The whole family loved this recipe, I've made it 3 times already. so delicious!
Traci says
Yay! Such a compliment! I'm so glad the family is enjoying it. Thanks so much for letting me know. xoxo
Angela says
I’ve made this several times and always make a double batch and freeze it. It is one of our favorites!
Traci says
So glad to hear that—it means a lot that it’s become a favorite in your home! I love that you double and freeze it too. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
Excellent. Have made this many many times with GF noodles (Rummo brand) and it is so delicious and even better as leftovers.
Traci says
Thanks for this feedback and for trying my recipe! I'm glad you're enjoying it with your favorite pasta. Cheers!
Abbie says
Has anyone tried this with a slightly smaller pasta?
Traci says
I have not but you can use any pasta you like. Just keep an eye on the cooking time, as smaller pasta may cook a bit faster. Let me know if you give it a try! Enjoy!
MelstoneRanchWife says
So good! I always skip the dice tomatoes since I never have a can in the pantry. Still very good!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you are enjoying this lasagna soup, even without the diced tomatoes. Thank you for trying my recipe and for leaving this feedback. xoxo
margie says
We love soups at our house and this is a keeper. What is this cook doing that the cheese doesn’t melt in smooth, just sticks to the spoon and bottle of the kettle-soup too hot? I prefer cooking pasta separate and I’m trying the freeze some for later!
Traci says
So glad this soup is a keeper for you! If the cheese isn’t melting smoothly and is sticking, it’s likely the soup is too hot when added–you'll want to let the soup cool slightly before adding it. Your freezer portion plan sounds great—hope it works out well! Enjoy!!
Amy says
This is a yummy recipe!!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed! Thank you for the feedback. xoxo
Kayla says
hi, love this recipe! when do you incorporate the water? I see it is not included in the instructions.
Traci says
So glad you love the recipe! The water is added in step 5. Hope that helps—enjoy your soup! xoxo
Kim young says
This soup is absolutely amazing!
Traci says
Yay! Your enthusiasm is such a compliment. Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. xoxo
Martha says
I’ve never had lasagna soup before, but this was delicious! I’m making it for the second time and my hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing this yummy soup recipe!
Traci says
I’m so glad you gave my recipe a try and loved it enough to make it again! That means so much. Thank you for sharing your kind words—happy cooking! xoxo
Lori Sheker says
This recipe is extremely salty. I would omit the salt or use low sodium chicken broth.
Traci says
This has never come up in hundreds of glowing reviews—and I’m not sure if you made the soup or were referring to the nutrition label, but your comment prompted me to check—and I’m so glad I did! The sodium nutrition was mistakenly doubled, and it’s now corrected. Just FYI, the 1 teaspoon of salt in this recipe is below a standard amount for a 12-cup yield, as I tend to write my recipes with conservative salt, letting readers adjust to taste. Hope this helps, and thanks for the feedback!
Lynn says
Can you do this lasagna soup in a crockpot or slow cooker?
Traci says
Sorry I missed your comment. I haven’t tested that method, so I can’t give exact instructions. Let me know if you give it a try!
Kecia says
I loved this soup! I'm actually going to make it again and figured I'd rate it while I'm here. So, I didn't have ground beef the day I made it for the first time, I used sweet Italian sausage instead. I will be using sausage again because it was ridiculous, how good it came out! I didn't do the mozzarella either because I didn't want to clean cheese out of a bowl, that's just no fun. I did use the ricotta but not everyone in my family did, they're just lazy, ha! This soup is on my list of go to soups.
Traci says
Yay!!! I'm thrilled and honored that you love it this much and it made your make-again list. Sausage works great in this recipe as you now know. Thanks for taking the time to let me know that the family approved too! Enjoy!
Phyllis Colligan says
I didnt EEven make it yet
Traci says
Well I hope you will give it a go 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and enjoy!
Christina says
Very easy and delicious. Whole family loved it including the kids!
Traci says
Yay!! I'm thrilled the family loved it and especially happy when the kids give thumbs up. Thank you for making my recipe and for sharing your experience. Enjoy! xoxo
Junebug says
We really enjoyed this! The leftovers really thickened up in the fridge, and we just ate the rest like lasagna, and was just as good.
Traci says
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it! The way it thickens and feels like lasagna is really a bonus in my opinion, so I'm glad you enjoyed that about it. Thanks for sharing! xoxo
Suzanne says
Super quick and everyone loves it!
Traci says
Awww yay!! I'm thrilled to know I was part of everyone's dinner enjoyment. Thank you and Happy New Year! xoxo
andrea says
Best ever...my daughter loved it!
Traci says
Awww yay!! This is the ultimate compliment! I'm thrilled to know I was part of your family's enjoyable dinner. Thank you and Happy New Year! xoxo
Kerri Workman says
This was absolutely AMAZING! I've been craving lasagna but didn't want to do all the work to make it. I came upon this recipe and thought I'd give it a whirl. this did not disappoint. So easy to throw together for a weeknight meal and has so much flavor. Taste just like lasagna! I used italian sausage, and also did half ricotta and half cottage cheese. Added it to the soup and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe. We absolutely loved it. it was even better the next day!
Traci says
Yay! I’m thrilled you love it as much as we do! It’s such a great way to enjoy all the lasagna flavors without the extra work. Your combo sounds divine! And yes, it’s definitely even better the next day. Thank you for sharing your kind words. Enjoy! xoxo