This easy soup has everything you love about lasagna, all in one bowl, with a fantastic ooey-gooey “cheesy yum” ricotta and mozzarella topping! Italian sausage gives it so much flavor, met with a rich tomato broth. You can make it on the stovetop or in a crockpot. It’s the ORIGINAL lasagna soup recipe to hit the internet, and still the BEST!
THE Lasagna Soup Recipe That Started It All.
I first shared this soup recipe way back in March 2011, before any other lasagna soup recipes appeared on the internet. And over the years I’ve received hundreds of reader’s comments — I hear over and over again that this recipe is their favorite version. Whenever someone asks me to recommend a recipe that’ll please the whole family, I point them straight to this one!
Because, seriously, who doesn’t welcome lasagna’s bold flavors, variety of textures, and big-long-hug kind of comfort?
The “cheesy yum” adds a ton of delicious fun to this recipe. Our family coined this term for the 3-cheese mixture of ricotta, Parm, and mozzarella that gets dolloped into individual bowls of soup. We love how the hot soup broth melts the cheesy yum and offers a creamy, gooey, comforting lasagna-like experience in every spoonful.
Another thing that’s key is that I use Italian sausage because it adds a big boost of savory flavor and incredible texture. I’ve tested this recipe using other proteins, and they just don’t measure up.
And while it’s not a deal-breaker for this soup, I hold a special place in my heart for anyone who uses mafalda pasta — it’s shaped like mini lasagna noodles (adorable!), and I never make lasagna soup without it!
When this soup is on the menu, my family insists on cheesy garlic bread for dipping. And if we invite friends and family to join us, I add a big bowl of Italian chopped salad. Besides a good amount of fresh ingredients, it has slices of salami, provolone, and black olives – and the zippiest Italian vinaigrette that everyone loves!
If we’re lucky enough to leftovers, it’s truly a win-win situation. Because leftover lasagna soup is even more amazing the next day, after the flavors have had extra time to mingle.
“I have been making this lasagna soup since 2011-2012, so for a long time. It is a family favorite for sure! It really is the best lasagna soup!”
Stephanie
Here’s My Simple Method:
I am not a fan of mushy noodles!
So I cook the noodles separately. Otherwise, the noodles keep absorbing the broth as the soup simmers, which makes them overly soft and can cause them to break down.
Plus, any leftover soup reheats much better if noodles are stored separately. Noodles require very little time to reheat, and heating them separately keeps them perfectly tender and chewy.
But if you plan to serve the soup right away and think you’ll eat most of it in that first meal (with little to no leftovers), it works great to cook the noodles right in the hot soup!
Just add the noodles during the simmering time – they should cook in 10 to 15 minutes, but it will depend on the temperature of your soup and the type of pasta you are using.
Whatever you do, do NOT let the soup simmer for a long period of time with the noodles.
Lasagna Soup with Cheesy Yum (stovetop or crockpot)
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds bulk Italian sausage
- 1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped (about 3 cups chopped)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste (add more for even deeper tomato flavor)
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 8 ounces mafalda pasta (fusilli and farfalle are also good options)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced sliced thinly
Cheesy Yum:
- 8 ounces full-fat ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (See my mozzarella tip in Notes below)
Instructions
- Soup: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 7 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a separate saucepan according to package directions, just to al dente. Do not over-cook. Drain.
- Cheesy Yum: In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Serve: Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving. Then add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum, plus additional shredded mozzarella, if desired, over the top.
CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon. (*If you have a multi-cooker, set it to BROWN/SAUTE and add the oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.)
- Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 7 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Transfer sausage mixture to slow cooker (or just proceed if using a multi-cooker) and add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and set slow cooker to low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before soup is ready, add pasta to slow cooker. Cover and cook until pasta is just al dente, checking after 15 minutes. (If you plan to let the soup sit for awhile before serving or are planning on leftovers, I strongly recommend cooking the pasta separately to avoid mushy noodles.)
Video
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store the soup, cooked pasta, and cheesy yum in separate containers in the refrigerator. Do not combine the soup and pasta together, as the noodles will absorb most of the soup broth and become soft and mushy. I also like to drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta after it has drained, and then fold gently to coat. This helps keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Freezer: This soup freezes very well. Store the soup, pasta, and cheesy yum portions separately in the freezer. Let everything thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to preparing it for the next meal.
- Microwave: Place desired amount of pasta in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap, leaving one corner slightly open to allow steam to escape. Heat on medium power to prevent overcooking. Heating time will vary depending on the amount of pasta you are reheating, but for 1 to 2 cups of pasta, start with 30 seconds. Give a stir and then microwave in shorter intervals, stirring in-between, until hot.
- Stovetop: Bring some water to a boil in a sauce pan. Be sure to use enough water to sufficiently cover the amount of pasta you are reheating. When the water comes to a full boil, add the leftover pasta and give a good stir. Boil for 30 seconds and then test to see if the noodles are hot. If needed, add time in 15-second intervals, until sufficiently heated. Remember that the pasta has already been cooked, and only needs to be reheated. Do not overcook or it will become mushy. Then drain the noodles.
Made this tonight, it was a big hit! Even my autistic daughter ate it :)
I love this recipe! The only changes I make are that I don’t use red pepper flakes because only one member of my household likes any sort of heat, and I also add 16 ounces of noodles simply because I don’t want to store a half of a box. The extra noodles soak up some of the broth which makes the soup less soupy… but my family likes it that way anyway!
I tweak this and make it in my slow cooker. I use ground beef cause my hubby doesn’t like sausage and I brown that on the stove, along with the onions and garlic. Add a little tomato paste or sauce…whatever I have open at the time, and the oregano. Then toss it into my slow cooker with the stock and tomatoes. Cooks all day and then we put the pasta in at the end. Yum. I could eat this every day.
Thanks for sharing how you make this in a slow cooker, as I’ve gotten alot of questions about it So glad you like this recipe, too. Have a great weekend!
that’s what i did too! the crock pot is just easier for me because of work, so i’m glad i was able to figure it out.
i didn’t have any fresh herbs and really didn’t feel like driving to the store, so i used the dried ones i had in my cabinet, turned out so yummy. i was kind of unsure about the soup until i put it altogether with the cheese, that really made it come together. i will make this again!
I’m making this for Mothers Day and a Birthday party ;) This weekend, I’m sharing Lasagna soup. I just <3 it. Thank you so much for sharing it with us all. <3
Enjoy the soup, and Happy Mother’s Day! :)
This recipe was amazing. My husband said “this is the best soup I’ve ever had”. I thought that was really a good compliment. Something I changed…which wasn’t intended, I used a bunch of green onions rather than the regular onions.
That’s fabulous to hear, Carissa – I’m so glad you liked it, too! :)
I had to comment because this soup is awesome! I love, love, love the cheesy yum. This is a go to for me!
I’m so glad you like it, too – thanks, Elizabeth! :)
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and love it! I’ve never taken the time to post a comment and I made myself take a few minutes today to thank you for a VERY YUMMY soup recipe. I’m waking up to another snow storm in Michigan and I’m going to make this yummy soup tonight. This is one of my go to soup recipes- I love it, my family loves it, my friends love it!
So great to hear from you, Kristina – thank you so much for letting me know. What a great soup for a snow storm!!
Best soup we have had in a long time. So good.
My family LOVES this soup! My husband loves to eat it as leftovers more than the night I cook it. Yumm! I cheat a little and use the Philadelphia cooking cream (Italian and herb) instead of the cheesy yum because my hubby is not a fan of ricotta. But add a little mozzarella and it’s fantastic! Thanks for introducing me to a new family staple….
I never comment on blogs…never! But I feel compelled to tell you how much I love this recipe!!! I found it on pinterest quite awhile ago, and I’ve been making it every other month or so since I found it. It’s amazing!! It’s on the stove as we speak…Thank you!!
Wonderful! So nice to hear how much you liked this soup. Thanks, Shannon! :)
What does “1 t of tamato paste” mean? As in, how much is that? I’m sorry, I’m new to the kitchen. :)
Hi Destiny! T. = tablespoon / tsp. = teaspoon
I discovered your site and I love this soup recipe! I’ll have to cut out the Italian sausage when I make it as I don’t eat meat but otherwise, all the ingredients are very tasty. Yum! :)
very good
Hello there,
I saw this soup recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. I am a vegetarian so I made some modifications to the soup….but it was delicious and perfect for my bad throat… My cousin and I almost ate most of the soup :D
This recipe is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I made it exactly as the recipe calls for, the only difference was I used lasagna noodles cut in strips! It’s AMAZING! Thank you!
I tried the lasagna soup, and I found it to be fabulous, and the so called yum to put in the soup, made it come together wonderfully. It’s a keeper.
Outstanding! Easy and delicious. My only substitutions were a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (Tuttorosso) instead of diced since I don’t like tomato chunks, and I used Italian seasoning instead of straight oregano. Loved it and will definitely make again!
Is there nutritional information for this soup? My husband is trying to lose weight and is simply counting calories. One of my gf said this is the best recipe ever and I would love to make it
Just a quick shout-out to you for posting such an awesome recipe. I’ve made this probably 15 times and it comes out great everytime! I’m making it again tonight (my husband’s like- really?), but I can’t help it. I’m trying it with tortellini instead of my favorite noodles which I was too lazy to go to Whole Foods to buy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband and I have enjoyed it so much! Delicious!
This was AMAZING! The flavors were like a party in my mouth :)
Thanks for sharing