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.
This soup was SO delicious! It was also really easy to make. Thank you for posting it!!
Awesome recipe! I am a college student and found your recipe on Pinterest. Very easy to make. My boyfriend and his baseball teammates loved it! Thank you :)
Hi Lauren – thanks for letting me know! I smile to know that it can make a baseball team happy. :)
I made this soup tonight for me and my husband… we loved it!!! I used whole wheat fusili, dried basil (it’s all I had!) and the butcher at whole foods took the casings off some links of spicy italian chicken sausage for me. I doubled the garlic and added extra onion as well (we both love garlic and onions!!)
This soup will be a new staple! So cheesy and delicious, would be impressive enough for company! My brother in law is vegetarian so I think next time I’ll try it with black beans and mushrooms or other veggies instead of sausage. I think this would be great with black beans, some spinach and pepper jack cheese as well.. you could substitute some cumin for the basil for a southwestern flare!
Five stars!!!
All great substitutions, Claire! Thanks for letting me know you liked it!
Made this on a campfire in a dutch oven with three variations. The first one was making meatballs using beef and Italian sausage and browning them. Second, I used 16 oz of curly pasta instead of 8 but with the same 6 cups of broth. I didn’t want to keep up with an open bag of pasta around camp which usually just ends up in waste. I took it off the heat a little before the pasta was done and it soaked up the broth and finished cooking while it sat a few minutes. Third, I mixed the fresh chopped basil with the cheese yum so the flavor wouldn’t evaporate as it sat in the hot soup. The result was something more like a “campfiretop” lasagne than a soup. Delicioso!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Great to hear from you, James! How fun – love the idea of eating this around a camp fire. So glad you liked it!
oh my word… this soup was AMAZING! Definitely sharing it on my blog! Thank you so much!
Hi Shelly! So glad you liked the soup!!
I just had to tell you that I love this soup!!! I posted your recipe on a forum in My Fitness Pal and everyone went nuts over this soup!!! I also added it to my recipe site. I just found your website on pinterest and I can’t wait to make something else.
Wonderful to hear from you, Claudia – thanks for letting me know you liked the soup!
so yummy! Wondering how it would work out in a crock-pot??
cheesy yum :)
:)
Does the 2T for the tomato paste mean to 2 tablespoons? Sorry for such a silly question just want to make sure I’m doing right.
Hello Susan! Yes, “T” is for tablespoon. And “tsp” is for teaspoon. Not a silly question…it’s just how I learned growing up. I know everyone has their own way with writing recipes. Thanks for visiting – hope you like this!!
Hello, Meredith – I tweak most every recipe I make, so I think you should add wine if you want to add wine. Enjoy!
Omg!! Just discovered your blog and I’m loving it! Thank you for sharing just wonderful recipes.
Great to hear from you, Ivonne – thank you!!
I found this on Pinterest and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks, Michelle, for letting me know – hope you’re having a great weekend!
Hi, I came across your soup on Pinterest and made it for supper tonight. It was delicious. My husband is picky about eating chunky tomatoes so I used my submersible blender for just a second before I put the noodles in and it worked great and made the juice just a tad thicker which he likes better as well. Everybody agreed the cheese was very yummy.
It’s great to see a blog from another Midwest girl and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Thank you, Angel – so nice to meet you! I was just in your beautiful state a couple weeks ago for the Iowa Cornucopia Tour. Glad you liked the soup!
Help! I’m having a fall festival party where the main course is going to be a bunch of different soups and after finding this one its an absolute menu must! But here’s my problem…the party is on Monday at 630 and I don’t get off work til 5. Is there a way to make this before hand…preferably the night before and just reheat it? Or even if I made it at 5… I guess what I’m asking is can I make it the night before/a couple hours before and heat it up in a crockpot on the keep warm setting? Will the noodles get mushy that way or will it keep a yummy consistency?
Hello! Yes, you can get it prepared the day before. Just don’t add the noodles to the soup – they do get mushy and break down when left on the stove for too long, or as leftovers. Make the soup and the noodles separately the day before – and refrigerate them separately. Or you could just boil up the noodles the night of the party. Have fun at your party!
Oh my! Yummy Yummy Yummy . . . . . . it smells. I’m in the process of making this divine dish and I cannot wait to try it. Since I saw the pic I said it’s a must try. Thank you for the recipe :-)
Oh my goodness DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know!!
Any idea how well this freezes? It always makes me sad that it takes hours to reheat frozen lasagna.
Honestly, there’s never been enough left for freezing! But if you want to, I would suggest not adding the noodles to the soup, as they soak up the broth and get soggy after awhile. Prepare your noodles separately and add them to individual bowls of the soup. Hope you like it – nice to hear from you, Matt!
I will stick with your recipe. It looks yummy. I love pasta and with today’s weather, a serving of soup will always be good addition for every meal. Your lasagna soup rocks!
Great to hear from you, Anna! Hope you like this – it’s a family favorite around here!
any good substitute to make the soup vegetarian or just leave out the sausage?
Hello, Sharona! Kaity, who left a comment just a couple minutes before you did, said she added mushrooms and zucchini. I think those would be great additions to give the soup some bulk. I’ve been wanting to add mushrooms myself, and now I definitely will try it out. I’d love to know what you think after you make it!
made this tonight with the addition of mushrooms and zucchini…SOO GOOD..will be making this all the time!
I’ve thought about adding mushrooms myself – now I’ll definitely have to give it a try next time. Thanks for letting me know you made (and liked!) this soup, Kaity!