Lasagna Soup
This easy Lasagna Soup recipe has everything you love about lasagna in one bowl! It’s the original and BEST lasagna soup! The ultimate comfort food with a fantastic ooey-gooey cheesy yum!
The Original Lasagna Soup Recipe
Lasagna Soup is perfect comfort on a cold winter day. It features everything you love about lasagna in one steaming bowl of delicious comfort!
I first shared this recipe way back in March 2011 – the first Lasagna Soup recipe to hit the internet! It’s a time-tested recipe, a favorite with our family and friends. Whenever someone asks me to recommend a recipe that’ll please the whole family, I point them straight to this one.
Over the years I’ve received comment after comment (there are nearly 700 comments on this post!) about how wonderful this soup is. I’ve also received a variety of questions, including how to make it in a Crock-Pot and Instant Pot. So I’ve updated this post with all the latest information and different ways to make it.
This is one of my favorite recipes for gathering people around our table, to cozy in and take the chill off. My family especially likes it when there’s homemade cheesy garlic bread for dipping. This meal is wintertime comfort food at it’s best.
Lasagna Soup forever and ever, Amen!
“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
What is Lasagna Soup?
So many people love the classic flavors of lasagna. With layers of pasta, red sauce, and cheese, that’s easy enough to understand.
Well this recipe cleverly includes the same ingredients as that beloved dish…in a bowl!
Dollops of a creamy mixture of cheeses, or “cheesy yum” as I like to call it, are added to a flavorful soup of pasta, Italian sausage, and a rich and herby tomato-based broth. The hot soup melts the cheesy yum, giving you a fantastic lasagna-like experience with every spoonful.
*Here are a few more comfort food recipes for you: Cheesy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers, such a fun and tasty way to eat stuffed peppers! This Spicy Lasagna Hotdish is a total comfort dish, and with a little kick of spicy heat. And our kids LOVE this Chicken Cheesesteak Baked Ziti!
Lasagna Soup Ingredients
This soup has simple ingredients. I’m betting that you already have most of them in your pantry and refrigerator:
- olive oil
- Italian sausage – this adds heartiness and incredible flavor
- yellow onion
- garlic
- dried herbs & spices – oregano, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes
- canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste – for rich tomato flavor
- low-sodium chicken stock
- dried pasta – I recommend mafalda pasta, see below for more info
- seasoning – salt and pepper
- fresh basil
- cheeses – ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella
What Kind of Pasta Should I Use for Lasagna Soup?
You can use whatever noodles you like for this recipe, but I highly recommend mafalda pasta. It’s shaped like miniature lasagna noodles – I just can’t resist them when making this soup! Our grocery store carries Creamette brand mafalda. You know – the pasta brand in the green box! :)
Other great choices would be fusilli, rotini, or bow tie pasta.
How to Make Lasagna Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-sized 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 minutes more.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cook pasta to al dente, while soup is simmering. Drain pasta. (If you want to cook the pasta right in the soup, please read the sections, “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” and “How to Store Lasagna Soup”.)
- Stir in fresh basil right before serving.
- Combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl, to create the “cheesy yum.”
- Serve: Add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?
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 used.
Whatever you do, do NOT let the soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb too much of the soup broth.
I prefer to cook the pasta separately and add to individual bowls. Because I am not a fan of mushy noodles!
Plus, the soup reheats much better if noodles are stored separately from any leftover soup. Noodles require less time to reheat, and heating them separately keeps the noodles from absorbing all the broth.
Can I use ground beef, turkey, or chicken?
Yes, of course you can use other ground meats.
But I definitely think that the Italian sausage gives this soup a big boost in both texture and flavor!
If you use something other than Italian sausage, add 2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs when you add the chicken stock. You might also like to add a bit more salt and pepper – taste test and adjust to your liking.
Do Not Skip the Cheese!
The cheesy yum brings the whole lasagna-in-a-bowl concept full circle. Do not skip it! Simply stir together the following ingredients:
- Ricotta (Have you ever made your own homemade ricotta?!)
- Grated Parmesan
- Salt & pepper
Add a dollop of this creamy cheese mixture to individual servings of soup, and then sprinkle “additional cheesy yum” (aka shredded mozzarella) over the top. The hot soup will begin to melt all the cheeses in the most beautiful way. It’s crazy fun and delicious!
Tip for you! If you can find shredded WHOLE MILK mozzarella, it’s even better than the more usual “part-skim” varieties found at the grocery store. The whole milk variety is my favorite, because it’s creamy and gooey, with a more buttery flavor and better meltability. Crystal Farms offers one, and I just recently noticed that our local Cub Foods carries one under their ‘Essential Everyday’ store brand. Once you try the whole milk variety, you’ll want it for your pizzas, pastas, salads, EVERYTHING!
How to Serve Lasagna Soup
For a weeknight family meal, I usually just serve this soup with bread. I like a buttery, crusty loaf, warmed in the oven.
But if our girls catch wind that lasagna soup is on the menu, you can bet they’ll be in the kitchen making some baked cheesy garlic bread…heavy on the cheese!
If we are entertaining with this soup, I like to also offer a salad. My family LOVES this Italian Chopped Salad. Besides a good amount of fresh ingredients, it has slices of salami, provolone, and black olives. And the zippiest Italian vinaigrette ever. It’s fantastic!
Another great salad choice would be simple fresh greens, possibly tossed with some fresh tomatoes and thinly sliced onions, with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.
What Wine Goes with Lasagna Soup?
When we entertain, I like to offer a glass of wine with this soup.
I look for an acidic red wine with a bit of tartness, usually a classic Chianti or a Sangiovese. A medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel would also be nice.
For a “fancier” meal (this is a great meal for Valentine’s Day!), I like to use stemmed red wine glasses. But more often than nought, we serve this soup very casually. Then I pour wine into half-pint jars (we use these for everyday juice glasses) or these simple, stylish glasses (they’re my favorite glass for entertaining!).
How to Store Lasagna Soup
If you have leftovers, 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.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta after it has drained, and then fold gently to coat. This will help keep the pasta from sticking together.
How to Reheat Lasagna Soup
Leftover Lasagna Soup is amazing because the flavors have had even more time to mingle. I am all for leftovers – they make for easy, delicious homemade meals in a fraction of the time!
To reheat soup: Place desired amount of leftover soup in a saucepan and reheat over medium to medium-high heat. Occasionally give it a stir. Once heated thoroughly, turn heat down to low to medium-low.
To reheat pasta: Plain leftover pasta can be easily reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop:
- To reheat in 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 1 minute. Give a stir and then microwave in shorter intervals, stirring in-between, until hot. Remove the bowl from the microwave and carefully remove the plastic wrap so that you are not exposed to escaping steam.
- To reheat on 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.
To serve: Add warmed pasta to individual bowls and ladle hot soup over the top. Then dollop some of that irresistible cheesy yum into the bowl. How easy was that? Super quick servings of homemade Lasagna Soup!
Can I Freeze Lasagna Soup?
Absolutely! This soup freezes very well.
Again, you’ll want to 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.
More Ways to Make Lasagna Soup
I’m often asked whether you can make this recipe in a crock pot or Instant Pot. The answer is yes! Here is how you would do it:
Crockpot Lasagna Soup
This Crock-Pot method allows you to mostly prepare the soup and then walk away for up to eight hours while it cooks nice and slow. While the stovetop method only takes 45 minutes from start to finish, a slow cooker can be utilized to accommodate a variety of schedules.
To cook this soup in a slow cooker, you’ll use the very same ingredients and quantities.
Here’s the instructions for the Crockpot:
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high 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 minutes more.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and set slow cooker to low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
- Combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl, to create the “cheesy yum.” Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve the soup.
- Cook pasta on the stovetop during the final 30 minutes of slow cooker time, just to al dente. Drain pasta. (If you want to cook the pasta right in the slow cooker, stir it into the soup during the final 30 minutes. But please first read the sections, “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” and “How to Store Lasagna Soup”.)
- Stir in fresh basil and then serve: Add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
Tip for you! If you own a multi-cooker like we do, brown the sausage, onion, and garlic right in the multi-cooker. Skip the browning in the skillet!
Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
For those who love to cook with their Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker), use the very same ingredients and quantities as the stovetop method. You will need a pressure cooker that is a 6-quart size or larger for this recipe. I own this 6-qt Instant Pot and have found it to be a great size for our family’s meals.
In all three cooking methods – stovetop, Crock-Pot, and Instant Pot – I recommend cooking the noodles separately. When cooked together, the noodles absorb much of the soup broth after sitting for awhile, which makes them soft and mushy. Simply cook the noodles separately and then add them to individual bowls, with soup ladled over the top. This method is also much better for storing, freezing, and reheating leftovers – be sure to back up and read those sections in this post.
The especially wonderful thing that I love about an Instant Pot is how quickly it can turn big cuts of meat into fork-tender bites. But this soup doesn’t require any magical tenderness potion, since it incorporates crumbled sausage. So the Instant Pot method is actually very similar to the stovetop method. Both methods will have the soup done in about 45 minutes.
Here’s the instructions for the Instant Pot:
- Press SAUTE. Once hot, add olive oil and let it warm for 30 seconds.
- Add sausage and onion and brown for 5 minutes, breaking sausage into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes more.
- Stir in tomato paste to completely incorporate, and scrape bottom of pot well.
- Press CANCEL and then stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock.
- Press SOUP and cook for 15 minutes on this setting.
- Meanwhile, combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl, to create the “cheesy yum.” Set aside.
- Press CANCEL and then quick release pressure.
- Add mafalda or fusilli pasta, submerging it below the soup broth.
- Press SOUP and cook for 8 minutes more for al dente mafalda or fusilli pasta. Thicker pastas will take a bit more time to cook. (If you plan to let the soup sit for awhile before serving or are planning on leftovers, I recommend cooking the pasta separately to avoid mushy noodles. Please read previous sections, “Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?” and “How to Store Lasagna Soup” for more info.)
- Press CANCEL and then quick release pressure.
- Stir in fresh basil and then serve: Add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
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Lasagna Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
for the soup:
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
- 1 extra-large yellow onion chopped (about 3 c. chopped)
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 T. tomato paste add more for even deeper tomato flavor
- 2 14.5-oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 c. low-sodium chicken stock
- 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
- ½ c. fresh basil leaves sliced thinly
for the cheesy yum:
- 8 oz. ricotta
- ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
additional cheesy yum:
- 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese If you can find shredded whole milk mozzarella, use that!
Instructions
Stovetop Directions:
- 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, prepare pasta in a separate saucepan according to package directions, to el dente. Do not over cook. Drain.
- In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving.
- To serve, add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum and additional shredded mozzarella.
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.
- In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to eat.
- 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. Read section in post titled "Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?" for more info.)
- Stir fresh basil into soup right before serving.
- To serve, add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
Instant Pot Directions:
- (Note: Instant Pot says "do not fill the inner pot more than 2/3 full", so you will need one that is a 6-quart size or larger. I use this 6-quart Instant Pot, and find it to be a great size for our family’s meals.) Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and add oil. Once hot, add sausage and onion and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 3 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Scrape bottom of pot very well.
- Press CANCEL to turn Instant Pot off. Stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock.
- Press SOUP and cook for 15 minutes on this setting.
- Meanwhile, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Press CANCEL and quick release pressure.
- Add mafalda or fusilli pasta, submerging it below the soup broth.
- Press SOUP and cook for 8 minutes more for al dente mafalda or fusilli pasta. Thicker pastas will take a bit more time to cook. (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. Read section in post titled "Can I Cook the Pasta in the Soup?" for more info.)
- Press CANCEL and then quick release pressure.
- Stir in fresh basil and then serve. Add soup to individual bowls with dollops of cheesy yum plus additional shredded mozzarella.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Be sure to check out 300 Sensational Soups – if you like soup, you’ll love this book!
This post was originally published March 2011, and then updated March 2020.
I have to say, I’ve just sat down to wait for that 30 minutes of simmering before adding the pasta. This is the 4th time since Christmas 2016 that I’ve made this soup for my family. We make it with spicy sausage, so it’s a little less lasagna-y than expected, and as such I skip the pepper flakes. I also use cream cheese instead of ricotta and make this crumble I guess you could call it, to go on the bottom of the bowl. Came to look for your crock pot version for my work days. Thank you for posting this now family favourite.
Still one of my favorite recipes of all time! Making it tonight :) I don’t change much, but since I can’t buy noodles in 8oz bags I just pour the whole pound box in. Makes it a little less soupy but it works out nicely still!
Yayyy! Enjoy!
I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest. I made it this evening and it is SO good! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it really is delicious. 10/10!!
Wonderful! So glad you liked it! :)
This looks amazing!
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Only thing I did differently was add some Philadelphia Cooking Creme Italian Cheese & Herb to the cheese mixture. I wanted it to have more flavor and it was a great addition. I would have sworn I had just made lasagna, it was that good. Mine wasn’t quite as soupy and it’s because I didn’t add as much chicken stock, so it resembles lasagna more than soup, but still great! I will DEFINITELY be making this again. Thanks!
Brenda,
this soup was AH-MAZING!!! My husband is not much of a soup man, not hearty enough to have for dinner, but this certainly won him over!
I would love to ask your permission to share it on my blog with full credit back to you, of course. I think my readers will really enjoy it and would love to send you some traffic as well!
Thank you and Happy New Year!
This is so delicious! Polar Vortex up in Wisconsin the past few days, and this hit the spot, not only for me, but the hubby and kids!! I served it with little garlic bread and a salad :)
Wonderful!! I hear you on the cold, as we’re just across the border in MN. Stay warm!!
So delicious! I used 1/2 beef and 1/2 Italian sausage and used radiatorre noodles. Even my dad ate this and he doesn’t eat tomatoes. Thank you for the recipe.
I love to hear this about your dad! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy!
I made this the other night and it was fabulous. I added mushrooms and fresh spinach but followed the rest of the recipe. I’ve been informed this is a keeper in our house :)
This looks and sounds so delicious. I think this would be great and so comforting. I also love that you can customize the ingredients based on what you love more or less of!
It’s a wonderfully comforting soup. I hope you like it!
I used your crock pot recipe I just added less or more . I Cooked the pasta like you said on stove , and I Â had a huge pot , everyone loved it , with garlic bread , and cornbread to prevent any disappointed guests . Most had a second bowl { had 4 guests } plus us , for a total of 6 ~ I had a medium size bowl left the first time , I Â froze it . This last time I made it none was left , getting ready here soon to make again ~ This is the best I’ve had , love it . It is hearty , spicy , and absolutely divine , the melding of flavors is a big high 5 , it’s that darn good . Â Thank You , for posting recipe , it rocks .Â
I like this recipe and going to try this soon; I think this will be good for rainy day. I have some leftover chicken I am also going to add that to the soup.
I made this today and it was so good.
I’ve made this twice now! Except I throw everything in the crock pot and cook the sausage in a pan and throw it in. Adding the noodles to the bowl instead of the pot is a great idea because this recipe makes so much, if you don’t have a big family, you’re definitely going to be having leftovers. My house smells so good right now. I can’t wait for it to be done!
Wow!! This soup is absolutely delicious! ! I made it yesterday afternoon and couldn’t have been happier with the results. I added some celery and red bell pepper with the onion (cuz I had some in the fridge I wanted to use before it went bad). Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
I have a question are your images copyrighted?
Yes, my site and images are copyrighted.
Made this last night My boyfriend and I loved it! Brought the rest to work and they all said YUM. Everyone wants the recipe This one is truly a keeper!
I’m so glad you liked this! :)
I notice all comments re Lasagna soup are from ladies. Well I am a widower who loves to cook particularly good soups. This one sounds magnificent. However we make such big batches I always have to ask. Can I freeze this one if I hold off on the pasta and do it at serving? I like to keep 2 or 3 kinds of soup in my freezer for Qwick lunches. Thanks so much .
Absolutely, this can be frozen. But like you said, keep the noodles separate, or you’ll have mushy noodles.
My husband has been raving and raving about this recipe since I made it. He’s Italian, so that’s a HIGH compliment! He says it is now his favorite soup recipe and I have to agree, it is just so flavorful and amazing, especially when served with the ricotta and mozzarella in the bottom of the bowl.
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe, “farmgirl’s dabbles” — you gave us such a great addition to our recipe collection! I married an Italian and have been enjoying cooking like one for 40 years now….but your recipe is unique and I’m thrilled to add it to our cookbook.
Happy Holidays from central NY State to you in South Dakota!
I am so sorry, my last comment is incorrect. I was confused. Please delete and disregard. :-(