This easy Lasagna Soup is made with hearty ground beef, veggies, and ruffly noodles, but let’s not overlook the most important part: THREE TYPES OF CHEESE. Ricotta makes it creamy, Parmesan makes it delish, and mozzarella adds the perfect melty cheese pull to each heaping spoonful.
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Lasagna soup is comfort by the spoonful.
If you love lasagna but not the work of layering the noodles, the soup is going to be your new BFF—it’s basically a lazy version of it!
I adore my Crockpot Lasagna Soup, but I wanted to create a quicker stovetop version.
There’s some (delicious!) overlap between the two versions. I still include kale and butternut squash to up the veggie factor (I love butternut squash in this Skillet Lasagna too!). And of course, it has the glorious trifecta of cheeses that make lasagna soup scrumptious, not to mention rich tomato broth and lasagna noodles.
Creamy, cheesy, cozy, and satisfying—exactly the kind of meal I want to sit down to on a chilly winter evening!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Ground Beef. Lean ground beef makes this soup hearty and filling. Feel free to swap ground chicken or turkey.
- Butternut Squash. To save yourself a little prep time, you can buy pre-cut cubes.
- Marinara Sauce. A shortcut that gives the broth big tomato flavor without hours of simmering on the stovetop.
- Dried Lasagna Noodles. Break the noodles into manageable pieces. You could also use another type of noodle if you’re not a lasagna soup purist. Mafaldine works well, as will your standard rotini.
- Kale or Spinach. I love hearty kale in this soup, but spinach wilts smoothly into the broth if you prefer something a little more inconspicuous.
- Cheese. Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The classics for lasagna! Grate your own mozzarella and Parm for superior flavor and meltiness.
- Basil. Fresh basil is a must! It has a more vibrant, herbaceous flavor than dried. I promise its worth buying that little grocery store packet.
- Heavy Cream. For that creamy finish. You can omit this if you’d like, but I love the richness it adds.
How to Make Lasagna Soup
Cook the Aromatics. Soften the onion by cooking it in a large Dutch oven with the olive oil, then stir in the garlic until it’s fragrant. That’s the aroma of deliciousness!
Brown the Meat. Cook the beef with the seasonings, breaking the meat up as it browns. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute; this brings out its flavor.
Simmer. Pour in the broth and add the squash. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the Marinara and Pasta. After stirring in the marinara, let the soup come to a boil, then add the lasagna noodles. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Greens. Stir in the kale and continue to simmer until the noodles are tender OR continue to simmer until the noodles are tender and THEN stir in the spinach.
Prep the Cheeses. Combine the 3 cheeses with 2 tablespoons of basil and salt. Stir stir stir until everything is evenly distributed. Roll the mixture into balls.
Finish. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cream and remaining basil. Drop a few balls of cheesy goodness into the pot, then ladle the soup into bowls and add ricotta balls and fresh basil. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Make Vegetarian Lasagna Soup. If you prefer a vegetarian version, use drained and rinsed cannellini beans instead of meat; you can add them with the kale.
- Try Different Veggies. Add sliced cremini mushrooms (cook them after the onions are softened), substitute zucchini for the butternut squash, or swap in your own favorite additions to lasagna to make this soup your own.
- Make It Low Carb Lasagna Soup. Without the noodles, this soup makes an excellent low carb meal. Make it keto by using a marinara with no added sugar and leaving out the butternut squash.
What to Serve with Lasagna Soup
While some soups definitely need a pairing to make a complete meal, lasagna soup does not fall into that category. This soup is filling on its own!
That said, you can stretch it and get a few more servings by serving it with Homemade Garlic Bread or No Knead Focaccia. My Italian Chopped Salad would also pair well with this recipe for a soup-and-salad situation.
More Hearty Italian Soup Recipes
Lasagna Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups 1/2-inch diced butternut squash
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce I used roasted garlic
- 8 ounces dried lasagna noodles broken crosswise into thirds
- 3 cups chopped kale or spinach
- 1 ¼ cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil leaves divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is beginning to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the beef, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth and butternut squash. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the squash is more tender but still has some chew to it.
- Add the marinara sauce and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the lasagna noodles. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the kale (if you’re using spinach, wait to add it until the end). Continue simmering for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the noodles are tender. (If using spinach, stir it in now.)
- While the soup simmers, in a medium bowl combine the ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the basil, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the cream and remaining 1/2 cup basil.
- Roll the ricotta mixture into generous 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls. Float a few on top of the soup and stir lightly to combine (you can also skip the balls and just serve the soup with big dollops of ricotta).
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Top with an additional ricotta ball and fresh basil.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover lasagna soup for up to 4 days. The ricotta topping can be refrigerated separately for 3-4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze for up to 3 months; store the soup and ricotta topping separately. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO REHEAT: Warm leftover lasagna soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through. Let the ricotta mixture come to room temperature while you heat the soup.
Nutrition
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I made this recipe almost exactly as written except for adding extra crushed red peppers. I used spicy marinara as my tomato sauce because we like a good kick and this was fantastic! We opted for the spinach version. My husband was complaining about me making lasagna soup instead of regular lasagna and ended up raving about how good it was. Another 5 star recipe!
My kids asked for lasagna for dinner last night, but as a busy teacher, the thought of preparing and baking a full lasagna at 5 PM exhausted me. This soup was easy, delicious and my kids said they would request it again!
A real winner in our house! I usually try every recipe as written before I tweak them to make them our own, this is pretty perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing for this recipe. I loved how easy it was to prepare, and it made enough for leftovers, which tasted just as amazing the next day. My husband even said he prefers this to regular lasagna because it’s less messy but just as satisfying! Thank you!