Lasagna Soup (Perfected Recipe!) - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published December 31, 2018. Updated April 19, 2021

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This Lasagna Soup is one of my all time favorites! You get all the flavors of a delicious hearty lasagna in a comforting soup form! It’s loaded with beef, tomatoes and Italian herbs and the melty cheese just takes it over the top.

Lasagna Soup (Perfected Recipe!) - Cooking Classy (1)

Lasagna Soup

I first shared this recipe way back in December 2013 and since then I’ve made it countless times. It’s been a go-to recipe for 5 years going strong so I figured it was time to update the photos and add tips.

How To Make Lasagna Soup Video Tutorial

On a chilly day this is one of my favorite ways to warm up. It’s such a cozy soup and it has such an incredibly flavor.

You get an herbed tomato based broth that’s filled with hearty bits of ground beef, and it’s finished off with a generous mound of cheese that melts perfectly into the steaming hot soup.

This simple recipe may look a little daunting due to the long list of ingredients but a lot of it is pantry staples you likely already have so don’t miss out on this recipe thinking it’s too much.

It’s actually easy to make and perfect for weeknights. Try it soon, it’s likely to become a chilly night staple!

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Ingredients Needed for Lasagna Soup

  • Olive oil
  • Lean ground beef
  • Yellow onion
  • Garlic
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste
  • Dried herbs basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
  • Seasoning Salt and pepper
  • Cheeses mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta
  • Dried lasagna noodles (campanelle or bow-ties works great too)
  • Fresh parsley

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How to Make Lasagna Soup

  • Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  • Once hot, crumble beef into pot, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally until browned.
  • Drain fat from beef and set beef aside.

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  • Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot, add chopped yellow onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
  • Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.

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  • Pour in broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

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  • Meanwhile cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • In a mixing bowl, using a fork, stir together mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta.

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  • Add cooked pasta to soup and thin soup with a little more broth if desired. See notes below next photo.
  • Stir together cheeses then serve soup with dollops of cheese.

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Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?

  • If you plan on serving the soup right away you can also just simmer the noodles with the soup. Add 1 extra cup of broth or water to make up for what the noodles will absorb. They’ll likely take about 12 – 14 minutes to cook with soup.
  • I like to cook pasta separately and add to individual servings then reserve remaining noodles (tossed with oil) for leftovers separately. We don’t finish the whole pot in one sitting and I hate soggy pasta.

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What If I Don’t Have all Those Dried Herbs?

If you don’t have the long list of herbs I’ve also tried this with 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning and it works great.

Can I Use Fresh Herbs?

I’ve also made this with fresh basil in place of dried. If doing so use 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil. You could also use fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme too just triple those amounts.

Can I Freeze This Soup?

The soup will freeze great without the pasta or cheeses mixed in. Freeze cheeses and pasta separately (lightly rinse pasta, drain then drizzle and toss with a little oil so it doesn’t stick excessively).

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Tips for This Recipe

  • You can use half Italian sausage in place of the ground beef (or try half sausage half beef). You can use ground turkey to cut fat.
  • You could also replace parmesan cheese with romano cheese.
  • Freeze any leftover crushed tomatoes (if you had to use a large can and couldn’t find the small) or tomato paste for a later use.

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More Italian Soup Recipes You’ll Love!

  • Zuppa Toscana
  • Pasta e fa*gioli
  • Spinach Tomato Tortellini Soup
  • Italian Wedding Soup
  • Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup
  • Minestrone
  • Italian Beef Stew

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

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Lasagna Soup

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This Lasagna Soup is one of my all time favorites! You get all the flavors of a delicious hearty lasagna in a comforting soup form! It's loaded with beef, tomatoes and Italian herbs and the melty cheese just takes it over the top.

Watch the video

Servings: 6

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook35 minutes minutes

Ready in: 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, crumble beef into pot, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Drain fat from beef and set beef aside.

  • Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot, add chopped yellow onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.

  • Add in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, browned ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to directions listed on package.

  • In a mixing bowl, using a fork, stir together mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta.

  • Stir cooked pasta into soup along with parsley, then thin soup with a little more broth if desired****.

  • Ladle soup into bowls, dollop with a large scoop of the cheese mixture and sprinkle with chopped parsley (cheese will melt well once stirred into soup).

Notes

  • *If you don't love garlic you can reduce to 2 or 3 cloves.
  • **If you don't have all the dried herbs listed then 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning can be use instead.
  • ***Another great option that's faster is to use campanelle pasta or bowtie pasta.
  • ****If you plan on left overs I like to add pasta to individual servings. If you plan on serving it all right away you can just simmer the noodles in with the soup for about 12 minutes (add 1 cup extra broth to make up for what they absorb).
  • If you'd like to add another veggie it's also good with a diced carrot added along with the onion.
  • Recipe originally listed 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds be added along with the other herbs, I've omitted this as I feel they aren't a must so we can cut down on ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

Lasagna Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 546Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 92mg31%

Sodium 649mg28%

Potassium 1041mg30%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 38g76%

Vitamin A 895IU18%

Vitamin C 17.9mg22%

Calcium 381mg38%

Iron 5.3mg29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Lasagna Soup

Author: Jaclyn

Lasagna Soup (Perfected Recipe!) - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to my lasagna to make it taste better? ›

Sugar: Two tablespoons of white sugar add subtle sweetness and enhance the flavor of the sauce. Spices and seasonings: This lasagna recipe is flavored with fresh parsley, dried basil leaves, salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Lasagna noodles: Use store-bought or homemade lasagna noodles.

What is lasagna soup made of? ›

Lasagna noodles are cradled in a beefy marinara broth, then cradled with Parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta. ADEPTLY SEASONED. Onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, and a splash of balsamic create a symphony of flavors. SIMMERED TO PERFECTION.

What is the best bottom layer for lasagna? ›

Start by spreading a layer of your tomato-based sauce (either a plain tomato sauce or your pre-made ragù) on the bottom of your dish. Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets. Then, add a layer of white sauce, followed by another single layer of pasta sheets.

How to stiffen up lasagna? ›

Cornstarch Is The Key Thickening Ingredient To Prevent Soupy Lasagna.

What restaurant makes the best lasagna in the world? ›

Where to eat The best Lasagne in the world (According to food experts)
  • Trattoria Anna Maria. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • All'Osteria Bottega. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • Trattoria della Gigina. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • Osteria Broccaindosso. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • Da Nello. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • Sfoglia Rina. Bologna, Italy. ...
  • Eataly. Genoa, Italy. ...
  • Cul de Sac. Rome, Italy.
Jan 12, 2022

How to jazz up a lasagna? ›

10 tips for the perfect lasagne
  1. Up the texture with chunky meat.
  2. Add pancetta or bacon.
  3. Squeeze in some ketchup.
  4. Don't be shy with the wine.
  5. Try a wild mushroom white sauce for added luxury.
  6. Use three types of cheese.
  7. Choose egg pasta sheets.
  8. Stop the slop (add less sauce)

What makes lasagna soupy? ›

The sauce could be too watery. The noodles can be holding on to water. The vegetables are releasing excess moisture. If you are using ricotta be careful of the moisture it can add.

What wine goes with lasagna soup? ›

Maybe a modern style Tuscan red rather than a classic Chianti or a southern Italian or Sicilian red like Nero d'Avola or Primitivo. Barbera is a good pairing too as are Italian grape varieties such as sangiovese from elsewhere.

What is the white stuff in the middle of lasagna? ›

The Sauces – The white sauce is a homemade bechamel (and could be replaced with ricotta if you prefer), and taking a few extra minutes to make the red sauce, rather than bottled pasta sauce, is so worth the huge improvement in taste!

Should you criss cross lasagna noodles? ›

(Do notice that I put the noodles criss cross – perpendicular from the layer below – it helps it to hold together when you serve it). So, the noodles directly on the cheese means there won't be enough for a top layer of noodles.

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

A well-made lasagna can be a delicious and satisfying meal, just as long as it's cooked correctly.
  1. Not cooking the noodles correctly. ...
  2. Not having all the ingredients ready. ...
  3. Not browning the meat. ...
  4. Using the wrong cheese. ...
  5. Skipping the dairy sauce. ...
  6. Skimping on the amount of marinara. ...
  7. Improperly layering the noodles.
Feb 21, 2023

How many layers should a lasagna have? ›

Let me break it to you: If you want to make a lasagna, three layers just won't cut it! For the perfect lasagna, you need at least 4-5 layers to really enjoy all those mouth-watering flavors. And, here's a pro-tip: make sure to season each layer generously, but not too much. The average lasagna has 8 layers!

Why is my ricotta cheese watery in lasagna? ›

Ricotta cheese, with its creamy texture and mild flavor, is a quintessential ingredient in many lasagna recipes. However, it can also introduce excess moisture if not handled properly. To avoid a runny mess, it's crucial to pat dry the ricotta before incorporating it into your lasagna.

Is it better to make lasagna a day ahead? ›

Lasagna is the kind of food that can keep a family fed for many nights in a row, happily. But it has other perks, too: namely, that you can prepare the whole thing in advance, and store it in the fridge overnight—ready to pop in the oven an hour or so before dinner (just before the kids start to whine).

Should lasagna sauce be thick or runny? ›

The biggest offender, though, is watery, thin pasta sauce. A helpful technique can prevent this pitfall from sabotaging your lasagna: Reduce your sauce to thicken it before pouring it into the casserole. A thin sauce runs right off of cooked lasagna noodles, causing all the layers to slide off of each other, as well.

How to add more flavour to lasagne? ›

There needs to be a balance of salt, sweet and acid. Think good to great tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, herbs like thyme, oregano and basil will increase taste experience, and remember the ground pepper. Season the ricotta with salt, pepper, lemon zest, fresh basil, some lemon juice to balance the salt.

How do you spice up bland lasagna? ›

Use vegetables like carrots, onions, and celery for flavor plus lots of garlic and herbs. If making a meat sauce, brown and season the ground meat before adding the tomatoes.

How to enhance store-bought lasagna? ›

You can enhance the taste of your lasagna by making sure that each component of the dish is made with a quality ingredient that has been handled and seasoned properly. Make your own marinara sauce with good quality tomatoes, reduce it until it is flavorful and season it with salt and pepper.

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