Lasagna soup is one of my favorite ways to satisfy the craving for Lasagna with very little effort. All of your favorite lasagna ingredients are nestled in a rich, tomato-based broth and topped with creamy ricotta cheese and basil.
Soups like Chicken Tortilla Soup, creamy Tomato Soup, and of course this Lasagna Soup recipe are perfect to curl up to in the colder months.
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What is Lasagna Soup?
Lasagna soup has all of the elements of a classic lasagna but instead of a thick tomato sauce, it all comes together in a rich and flavorful tomato broth where all of the flavors meld beautifully. The soup is served with a generous mound of creamy ricotta cheese that melts into your spoonful. Lasagna is so satisfying as a soup. All you need is some Focaccia Bread to go with it.
Ingredients for Lasagna Soup
- Lasagna noodles – use just about any brand or style you prefer and break the noodles into roughly bite-size pieces
- Oil – use a mild oil such as olive oil or avocado oil
- Onion – a white or yellow onion works best
- Hot or sweet Italian sausage – Any style of Italian sausage will work great – go as hot or sweet as you like
- Garlic – fresh garlic adds more flavor than garlic powder
- Dried oregano – dried herbs work great in this soup
- Tomato paste – deepens the flavor of the broth
- Low-sodium broth – homemade chicken broth is best but storebought also works.
- Crushed tomatoes – Use classic or fire-roasted if you like a little smokiness
- Fresh basil – brightens up the soup and elevates the flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – builds a rich and creamy base
- Half & half – balances the acidity of the soup
- Ricotta cheese – serve with a hefty spoonful of full-fat ricotta
How to Make Lasagna Soup
- Boil the Noodles – Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the broken up noodles until aldente or firm to the bite then toss them with oil.
- Cook & Season the Sausage – In a heavy pot or dutch oven, cook sausage. Add onion and cook it until translucent. Add pressed garlic and dried oregano.
- Make the Soup Base – Add in the tomato paste and stir until well distributed. Next, pour in the broth and canned tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes.
- Finish Building the Soup – Turn the heat to low. Add in the noodles, half and half, parmesan, and basil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish & Serve – Ladle into warm bowls and top with a dollop of ricotta cheese and fresh basil.
Tips for the Best Lasagna Soup
- Keep the heat over medium – allow the flavors of the soup to come together gradually by keeping the heat at medium to medium-low.
- Don’t cook the pasta all the way – drain it with 2-3 minutes left of cooking time, as it will finish cooking when you add it back to the soup pot.
- Make the soup in a Dutch oven – it retains moisture and maintains even heat.
Variations
- Use your favorite type of protein. Italian sausage can be made with ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork. Use your favorite.
- Swap out the ricotta for your favorite cheese. If you’re not a fan of ricotta, garnish the soup with shredded mozzarella or parmesan instead.
Common Questions
To make Instant Pot lasagna soup, put all the ingredients into a 6 Qt instant pot, pushing the noodles down just so they are submerged. Seal the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes followed by a quick release of pressure.
You can also use your Slow Cooker to make this soup. Add all the ingredients except the noodles into the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook for 3-4 hours. With 30 minutes of cooking time left, add in the raw broken noodles.
It’s not recommended to store this soup in the freezer or the noodles will get mushy. Instead, see make-ahead tips below.
It’s best to cook the noodles separately since they absorb some of the liquid and add some starch to the soup, thickening it up. You can cook it in the soup pot, but be sure to add an extra cup of broth.
Make-Ahead
- Prep-Ahead: Whether you’re meal-prepping or cooking the soup a day in advance for guests, prepare everything except the noodles and refrigerate the soup in a large airtight container. Right before you plan on serving, boil the lasagna noodles and add them to the soup. This will prevent the noodles from absorbing all the broth in storage.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat this soup is over medium heat in a large saucepan or pot until warmed through. It tends to pop in the microwave, so beware!
More Tasty Soup Recipes
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Wonton Soup Recipe
- Minestrone Soup
The Best Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 1 tbsp oil, avocado or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 32 oz low-sodium broth, (chicken or beef)
- 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes, with their juice
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup half & half
- Ricotta cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them for 2 minutes less than advised by the package instructions. Drain the noodles, drizzle them with oil, and set them aside.
- Place a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the sausage, and sautee until cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula. Add the onion and cook until it’s translucent. Stir in pressed garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste, broth, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Keeping the heat at a simmer, add in noodles, half and half, parmesan, and basil. Simmer for a few more minutes and season to taste.
- Serve right away with a spoonful of ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Is there a good substitute for tomato paste for this recipe or would t be better to skip it if I do not have it?
I have not tried any substitution but one of our readers shared this comment “Delicious! Will definitely make again. Only thing I didn’t put in was the tomato paste, because I couldn’t find it. It still came out delicious.”
I want to prepare then leave in oven overnight then bake the next day. Is it ok to do this with this recipe? Please advise.
Hi Nate! Are you referring to a different recipe? We do not bake this.
If you do have questions about this recipe, please refer to the “make-ahead” section in the blog post above for instructions.
This was absolutely delicious!! I made a double recipe and it was a hit! My 4 boys, one of my son’s girlfriend and myself of course loved it! I substituted the ricotta with cottage cheese..since boys don’t like it (weird I know) but it was still amazing! Thank you so much for the meal ideas and tasty recipes!
This was absolutely DELICOUS. Probably the fastest and easiest soup I’ve ever made. Don’t skimp on the ricotta- it really makes it taste like lasagna. Yum!
Yes, agreed regarding the ricotta. Thanks for your excellent comments and feeddback!
This was a Valentine Dream Dinner!! Whole family, scarfed it down and had seconds and I woke up and had a bowl for breakfast. Absolute perfection. Thank you so much for sharing. I also love your zuppa Toscano recipe and I’ve made it for the years and I’m definitely adding this one to the rotation. You are such a great chef.
That’s wonderful to hear, Jamie! Thank you.
Hello, I saw your comment that this can be done in the slow cooker – great! Would you cook your protein before adding it or just let it cook in the slow cooker? Thanks so much – love all your recipes and your cookbook! Kim
Hi Kim! Yes, we address this under the common questions section of the recipe post – Add all the ingredients except the noodles into the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook for 3-4 hours. With 30 minutes of cooking time left, add in the raw broken noodles. I hope that helps.
Delicious! Will definitely make again. Only thing I didn’t put in was the tomato paste, because I couldn’t find it. It still came out delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Carla! I’m glad you loved it!
Hey Natasha,
I just wanted to let you know that this recipe is absolutely delicious! I used spicy chicken italian sausage, but otherwise kept the recipe exactly the same. It was phenomenal. Also, this is a testament to how good your recipes are… whenever I am looking to make something for dinner I will google ideas. Then, after coming up with an idea for what I want for dinner, I look to see if you have a recipe for it and use your recipe instead of a googled one. You have a reputation with me for having the best recipes that never fail. Thank you!
Hi Esther, thank you so much for sharing that with us. I’m happy that you loved it! I hope you’ll enjoy all of the recipes that you will try from us.